CHAOTIC
by Reige
Summary: Some roads lead to the same results, but sometimes those results have different answers which we never intended. AU-Canon Divergence! SI OC! Warning: Major Character Death & Dark Themes! This story isn't for children under 18!
1. Origin Story: Sengoku Kuzan

**A/N:** I know, I know. I'm practically a ghost left haunting this place, but sometimes I can't leave things well enough alone. Hopefully this story will make me get an epic comeback to dive back into writing the other stories left lying around and collecting dust bunnies. I know for sure some of you have been asking about stories like "Cutting Down the Ocean" and "Falling in the Plains of Time", but until then those stories will be left in the back burner for the time being. As for now, I'm gonna take a shot at the BNHA SI OC trope—but with a twist. Prepare your tissues, you're in for a ride.

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **prologue**

 **Origin Story: Part I**

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* * *

Chaos Theory was something I once heard about in class.

An unpredictable change in routine, an extra or missing number of the equation, another result in a repeated experiment. People often misinterpreted it as the Butterfly Effect—they weren't entirely wrong. The common thread was that it had to with a change of something that resulted in a divergence of what was originally intended.

For example, I was a university student who followed a routine of going to my classes, taking a brief nap in my dorm between said classes, going out to eat something because my dorm mate had a sock hanging off the doorknob, and then coming back to my dorm to get some sleep and repeat the whole thing. Routine was safe, it worked well, it didn't leave me open to anymore stress than I already had from the tons of assignments I had to complete by the end of the first semester.

I had a pattern that I was comfortable with. It was a guidance system people developed all the time to keep in a straight path without unexpected mishaps. But the thing was, life was categorized as unpredictable for a good reason which was why there was going to be mishaps in someone's routine.

That's where the Chaos Theory came in, by throwing a damn wrench in your organized path of life.

The campus had a brief lock down due to a security situation where faculty warned students via text message not to come to class; trying to take a nap was nigh impossible no thanks to the awkward air that hung between me and my dorm mate and his girlfriend who also couldn't go to their classes, and I was left starving because the buses were so slow that by the time I reached the inner parts of the small town, it was overflowing with hungry students and tourists. The whole thing left me deranged, my clothes ruffled like an angry bird, and in a very poor mood that I didn't give two shits about the sock on the doorknob when I barged my way into my dorm room.

Routine was fucked, my order was in disorder, and I was absolutely fucking done with the day.

Which was how I ended up dying.

Having surprised the shit out of my dorm mate and his girlfriend from my sudden invasion to their sacred dance of mating, the damn idiot grabbed the nearest thing he could get his hands on then proceeded to chuck it at my face. Did I forget to mention that my dorm mate got into this school via high scholarships due to his mad arm swinging skills as a baseball pitcher?

Imagine the last thing you see is a baseball flying at you at speeds of 70 mph.

And that, ladies and gentleman, is the ridiculous story of how I died an equally ridiculous death.

It sucked. I was someone who was finally getting to do his own thing by his own rules, and I kind felt like I might've been going places, but sadly that didn't matter anymore. And another thing, I couldn't blame the idiot who accidentally killed me; sure, he was a jock, but my dorm mate was actually a pretty cool dude. He hadn't meant any harm, it's just his body acting on reflex because he hadn't expected anyone to step inside while he (and his girlfriend) were exposed.

So, the end it was.

But it wasn't the end like most people would say... and it wasn't like the hereafter as the other half believed from their gospels and bibles.

Me having died is not the crazy part of the story because the crazier bit is about what happened _after_ my unforeseen death by flying baseball to the noggin.

Because, rather than it ending right then and there as most would assume, the wrench thrown in my life continued to follow me. It reverberated, it echoed, and it was from this push that it forced a motion of something unexpected elsewhere...

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Grete Gunnarsen cursed when she dropped her glass of red wine after blindly colliding against another body. " _Faen_!"

Her mother warned her not to get drunk, otherwise it would mess with her senses. However, given the situation she was in, Grete felt her mother would forgive her for wanting to drink herself to death.

"Sorry, sorry," the dark-haired man apologized as he knelt down near her feet, a napkin in hand to clean up the small mess she created. "Thank God it didn't get your dress, ma'am."

"It's fine." Grete replied sharply, waving at a nearby waiter to bring more napkins.

Sengoku Enzō looked up from where he was kneeling in front of the woman, and the pair's eyes connected.

Grete felt herself stare, taking in the man's sharp foreign features before settling on the dark blazer and slacks that was both to appear formal while also wearing a standard uniform to show that he was part of security for the men and women visiting her family from Japan. Meanwhile, Enzō couldn't help but stare up at the beautiful woman with the platinum blond hair and orange eyes that watched him with such intensity that he vaguely wondered if she could could see right through him.

He wouldn't be surprised if she could.

The majority of her family had a gift that came from Aksel Gunnarsen's second marriage. It was a trait that could have been of some use in the hero industry, but none of the women showed any interest on that particular field.

A waiter arrived with more napkins, joining Enzō on the floor to hurry in collecting the broken glass pieces so that no one would wind up getting injured. With the mess resolved, the dark-haired man stood up. Grete watched as he went up, and up, and _up_.

"Oh my."

The other man didn't seem bothered by her dumb remark. It actually kind of tickled his inside, a small quirk at the corner of his mouth expressing his amusement of her reaction to his height. It was a bit crooked but the action still made Grete flush a little which she viciously blamed the wine for.

"I can't be the first tall person you've come across." Enzō joked, feeling a bit foolish around the young woman. And could anyone blame him? She was gorgeous in her glittering dark azure dress, and it didn't help that there was a low cut on the back that showed _plenty_ of skin.

The dark-haired man looked away, his face becoming flushed hot. He needed a drink. With lots of ice.

"Never up close. Besides, I don't really get a chance to meet a lot of people. I have to stay in certain circles."

She met more pompous and haughty brats than she had met patients. Most of her life revolved around dressing up for galas and charity balls her father forced her and her sisters to attend because they needed to present a perfect picture to the public. When she got older, however, she stuck close to school. After school, she continued her education into university which then led her towards the medical schools and then finally the hospitals. The experience invigorated her to reach out to strangers more than she ever did with the rest of men and women in the social gatherings.

Her eyes flicked over Enzō's torso, slowly trailing upwards until they met his honey-brown eyes.

The Sentinels, most called the Gunnarsen daughters.

Their eyes were their best quirks, more dominant from their mother's genes as they were born with heightened senses. Smelling things as good as a shark smelling a drop of blood in the vast ocean, their taste buds more sensitive to whatever ingredients they devoured, and their hearing so much keener than the average dog that they could easily easily identity a quiet mouse skittering about within walls of solid concrete while standing outside of said establishment.

Hearing Enzō's drumming heart this close up would be no problem for Grete.

Whiskey. He was going to drink some whiskey. With lots of fucking _ice_.

Looking back to where his entourage stood, he spotted Tsurugi and Ganta giving him looks. He should go back to them. Enzō was only here because he had a job to do, and he couldn't be doing his best if all he was doing was mingling with some elite lady who he had no business talking to like she was newfound crush he stumbled upon. Besides, she was going to get hitched in a few short months (this was rumored to be an engagement party, supposedly).

Her name was being called.

Mindful of the volume so it wouldn't disturb the party and its guests, it was still clear enough that it reached Grete's ears.

She frowned. It sounded more like an owner calling for his pet.

The bodyguard noticed her small strained look and looked over to spot a familiar man slowly making his way towards them: the would-be groom of the Gunnarsen lady. It was obvious for those who cared enough to look, to actually observe the scene in a broader sense, that this girl was not at all enthused with her engagement with the man. Most people liked to believe that arranged marriages were done and over with because this was modern times, but you only had visit certain rural countries, poverty-ridden areas, or attend a blue blood party to really get a glimpse of how men and women would treat trading vows as business transactions and not a promise of shared love.

The woman looked like she was contemplating whether or not it would be a good idea to fling herself out the balcony window just a few feet away from them. Enzō felt sorry for her, but it wasn't like there was anything he could do—

"Thirsty?" Grete suddenly asked, nervously pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear.

He couldn't help himself in watching the movement like a total creep, his eyes once more locked on the beautiful woman that he knew deep down would get him into so much trouble if he followed her to bar.

Dammit, her fiancé was coming closer.

And yet...

"Sure."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

She won't lie.

Anyone in her shoes would have hesitated, or felt doubt about what their actions. Like anyone in her position, she would have looked back and wondered if all this was worth the trouble... but then when she remember who was waiting for her at the altar, the young doctor felt her fears and anxiety erase. She turned away from her home one last time and reached for Enzō's hand as they both walked away hand-in-hand.

This wouldn't be the first time she disappointed her father, but it would be the last time he ever acknowledged her as his own daughter.

He didn't like that she preferred to stay a few extra years after completing the standard education in university, he didn't like that she pursued a career in the medical field after an inspiring presentation at the auditorium of her school, he especially didn't like that she spent so many hours in the hospitals surrounded by the sick and dying. It didn't matter that she was out there saving lives, what mattered was what he wanted for all his daughters.

The last straw was when Grete dismissed the man that would be her future husband.

There was a time when the old vulture was angry, something she had seen only rarely as he was a man more in love with his work than with his home life (the many times he's been married and divorced said as much), but when her father was enraged...

His lips curled back in and awful sort of sneer that he was almost unrecognizable to Grete. Her father looked like a man possessed by demons, making her feel like a little girl hiding underneath her bed sheets from the monster. The words that poured out of his mouth shook her to the core, make her light complexion grow pale as every word slammed into her. There were times when her father had called her a spoiled brat, an entitled child, but these vulgar words slammed at her like heavy carts of freight train.

A tease.

A slut.

A whore.

Her career was one thing he would have tolerated, but her refusal to marry the man chosen for her was not something her father would take lightly. Everything he had planned, to the man she should have been hitched to, to the merging of the groom's company to the family's, it was all ruined the moment she realized she liked Enzō's stupid jokes and dumb laughter. While the tall man was a bit intimidated by her, he didn't have much care about the privileged life her family led, never undermined her about her wants and wishes, and would match her evenly in a battle of wits.

Not once had he raised his volume when she got the last word, not once had he tried to "reign" her in as if she was an animal that needed to be controlled, not once was she treated like a prize that needed to be won. Not once did he ever lay a hand on her where no one could see the bruises left behind.

To Sengoku Enzō, she was merely Grete Gunnarsen.

The old vulture did things like freezing her bank account to the family money, excluded her from social gatherings when her sisters were attending, and kept most of her expensive possessions—as if the loss of such luxurious things mattered to her. She had her own account, she never really cared for the social gatherings besides the intimate ones she shared with her mother and sisters, and most of the time she wore her hospital scrubs.

That's when the old man snapped.

They expected Aksel Gunnarsen to shun her, to cut her off, to revoke her entry to her childhood home, to completely destroy her presence as if she never existed... what they didn't expect the old vulture to do was destroy any and all ties to Japan.

After all, if he couldn't get Grete back then he would get the man who took away his daughter.

Any company that was affiliated to the country was banned from doing any sort of business or trade. Quirk aid, tech, costumes, supplies, medical upgrades that happened every few years, all of it gone. And it didn't stop there. Aksel even had to go so far as using his influence to have other countries refuse servicing the Japanese, further isolating it from the other nations.

At first nothing happened, but then slowly things began to fall apart as Japan's stability started to crumble little by little until it snowballed out of control with catastrophic results.

It was beyond horrifying to watch it tear itself apart.

Enzō was forced to resign; whatever connections he had to his old home country, gone. He could already see how cold the reception would be back home, people looking at him with accusing eyes as if to say it was entirely his fault. The old Gunnarsen patriarch, so bitter and vengeful that he retaliated by destroying the man's reputation, throwing him towards the wolves where he would be ripped to shreds.

All this to get back at his "wayward" daughter who refused to obey his commands.

The old vulture wanted to ruin her life, he wanted to ruin her lover's, he wanted to ruin everything because they ruined his _plans_.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Enzō watched his wife glow as the months rolled by, her hands coming to rest on the swollen area of her body.

He was going to be a father, and she a mother.

The nurses at the hospital would coo as she walked by, doctors from the maternal ward giving suggestions and sound advice to the nervous pair, and hospital patients offering their congrats (they needed it considering what awaited for them out in the real world).

The Gunnarsen patriarch, who often forcefully graced them with his unwelcome presence, would take one look at his daughter before frostily biting out that he hoped the babe in her belly would strangle itself from inside the womb. It took everything in Enzō not to attack the wretched bastard, otherwise attacking a high-profiled individual of his caliber who had money and connections wouldn't end well for him. He could end up a hundred years in solitary confinement if the wrinkly asshole had his way, ensuring that he would never see the light of day once the steel doors shut behind him.

Grete's eyes always fell down to her protruding belly, listening and hearing the movements done inside her through the thin skin that separated mother and child. He never wanted that look to fade away from his wife, to see the way her blossoming smile die at the reminder that her child was unwanted, that she disgraced her father with her actions by becoming a mother to the wrong husband.

Enzō resented the old vulture for haunting Grete like so.

It was hard enough that they would sometimes be harassed by people associated with the head Gunnarsen, but then it would mean that their child would face harsh discrimination for simply existing as the same breath as the old patriarch. No child of theirs deserved the scorn of some dreadful old man who didn't know when to let things be even after the years went by.

Grete's younger half-sister, Trine, was tasked with the unfortunate duty in marrying her ex-fiancé. It was cruel to see such a bright young lady have her life ruined by being bound to a diamond ring, but the marriage should have eased the old man off their backs. Yet even when the solution was solved, it didn't keep Aksel Gunnarsen away for long.

The bastard still flew circles overhead, waiting and biding his time to strike at them again, throwing Enzō's little family through another round of emotional turmoil and heartbreak. The man probably got off on this, smiling behind his contempt as he watched them struggle.

If he could, Enzō would take his family far away from Scandinavia in a heartbeat, but his options were limited. The Gunnarsen empire was vast and seemingly endless, Aksel's influence was almost everywhere that it would be difficult to apply for a visa. The only country that was free from the old vulture's influence was Enzō's birth country, but even that place wasn't considered safe for himself and his wife.

For the time being, he needed to keep his head low and wait; maybe things will cool down enough that he could try to consider the idea of returning to Japan with his little growing family in tow.

But right now, he had to do his best by protecting Grete and their unborn baby from the old vulture.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

It was one thing to watch from the other side how people reacted when meeting a newborn infant for the first time, but it was a whole different ball game when experiencing why people lost themselves looking at the tiny thing swaddled in soft blue blankets.

Their baby was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen.

The husband laughed as he cried while the exhausted wife clung to the infant close to her face because she couldn't stop looking at the tiny person she'd been waiting to meet for almost a year. The baby was a stranger to them but never had they felt so much love and connection as they did now for the small life they helped bring into the world. Proof was sitting right there, next to Grete and Enzō, oblivious to the overwhelming emotions he was inducing for merely existing.

Whatever shadow of doubts that had been clinging onto their shoulders immediately died the longer they stared, falling more and more in love with every passing minute as their son gave a soft mewl or weakly tug with his little precious pink hands when he managed to catch one or both of his parents' fingers.

He was beautiful. He was so beautiful.

"I love him." Grete sobbed as she felt the little fingers touch her tear-covered cheeks. "He's only a few hours old, but I already love him so much...!"

"Name?" a nurse asked, producing a clipboard when they realized neither parent wanted to part from their baby so soon.

Both husband and wife shared a look over their sleeping son's head. Not long ago, they had traded names back and forth, struggling to find what would be appropriate for their little newborn babe... but their search ended with an offered gift. It wasn't grand, but the gesture meant something and Grete and Enzō graciously accepted the gift.

The one and only act of love everyone inside the room would forever cherish.

"Kuzan," Grete finally answered, brushing a finger over the baby's soft dark hair that was beginning to flick up no matter how many times she brushed the stubborn locks down. "Kuzan Grímnir Sengoku."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 _A few years earlier..._

"Hey man?"

"Mm?"

"If you, like, had to pick a superpower, what would it be?"

I barely heard the question, too busy going over my laptop as my fingers typed then tweaked the sentences because I was a grammar freak about my work. The television in the background was low (my dorm mate was cool like that), but I could detect the faint sounds of explosions from what I could only assume was some action scene in whatever anime show he was watching. A love for all things anime and manga was what made the awkwardness between me and my dorm mate disappear, the both of sharing our likes and dislikes regarding the fascinating genre.

It still didn't stop me from feeling jealous now and then because of how popular and outgoing he was, not to mention how many different girls he's been with (meanwhile, my only relationship was back in my last years in high school and even that didn't count because it only lasted for about three days before my "girlfriend" called it quits).

"Hey," he called out again when I didn't answer.

I looked up from my desk, watching the colorful characters dancing around on the screen.

"I don't really keep up with that show." I told my dorm mate who was watching the screen with sharp attention, never missing the ball he kept tossing in the air. This guy had reflexes that I was honestly jealous of. _Show off_.

"But you have read and watched it, right?"

"Yeah." I turned back to my laptop. "Only because you can't shut up about it."

Due to all the work, both in the classroom and the job I got in working at a furniture store, I wasn't able to really check out the manga updates. Still, I was quite ahead enough to know some of the plots in the story.

"You didn't answer my question, you ass."

"What did you pick?" I asked instead. I was way too busy writing scary yet important things like listening devices implanted in smart televisions. Later on, someone was going to call me a crazy conspiracy theorist, but the paranoia would stay with them whenever they walked around their flat screens.

"I like the explosion power. Blowin' shit up! The only time I get to have that much fun is when I'm in my chemistry classes." I couldn't help but laugh a little at his answer.

"Or maybe you have the power to do chemicals, like combine elements and make things explode, freeze, spark, or whatever!"

" _Ooh_! Oh, that's even better!"

I typed away in my laptop, content in the silence that followed (besides the TV of course).

"Hey, you still didn't answer my question." I felt a hand nudge my side.

He wasn't going to leave me alone until I answered him. He was an asshole like that.

"Shit, I dunno! I'd probably have powers like Luffy, I guess." I shrugged.

"Wrong fandom, dude."

"It's still a superpower, ain't it?" I shot back. "Now shut up, I really got get this finished by tomorrow noon. My professor's been riding my ass because he didn't like my thesis on why university's are more interested in keeping sexual assaults quiet than dishing out the punishments to the perpetrators attending their school."

"Is he a creep? I bet he is. Bet you he likes to pick the pretty girls and make them stay behind in class for extra hour "sessions" over the dumbest things."

In the end, I didn't get to follow through with turning in my thesis since the following day involved a locked down campus, getting shoo'd out of my dorm room, going hungry before returning to my dorm where I subsequently died. Yet, even as I died, something about that moment changed. A disruption from my place which echoed so deeply that it caused a stranger from another time and place to lose her balance and slam into another body, resulting in the woman dropping her glass of expensive red wine.

Instead of heading towards the balcony where she would eventually be cornered by her intrusive fiancé, dragged back to the party and forced to dance with him, be led back home where he would slowly start to break her down as the countdown to their impending marriage grew shorter, gradually become a broken shell of a woman who was forced to withdraw from her job as a doctor at the behest of her new husband, endure years of emotional and physical abuse—she bumped into a stranger.

A stranger who was suppose to meet up with his entourage, keep a close eye on his charge, watch the crowd with detached apathy, and head back home without any hassle after the business venture with the Gunnarsens became a success. A stranger who would have been invited to the wedding of one of the Gunnarsen daughters, distantly admiring the platinum blond beauty who watched the crowd with a strained smile that didn't reach her sharp eyes. A stranger who was forgotten as he left behind the country to go back home with a new client waiting for him and the rest of the security detail.

An echo, a collision, a shattered glass. Two people who should have never crossed paths, exchanged words, and left together resulted in something unintended that the motion of the world scrambled to correct itself.

The Chaos Theory—an unpredictable equation that either added or subtracted the answer; would there be more butterflies or less in the world?

Would Grete Gunnarsen and Sengoku Enzō have met or not?

Whatever the outcome was suppose to be, somehow me dying and then being reborn as Sengoku Kuzan was the answer to that.


	2. Origin Story: (Un)Knowing

**A/N:** Um, so like, would any of you guys believe me if I suddenly realized something about the dude's name? I don't think you'll get the unintended joke unless your fans of a certain manga which involves pirates, but I just wanna say I didn't really intend on it because I had been searching for names which paralleled things like other names from a different language. You'll know what I mean as you read along the story. Anyway, have fun with the newest chapter update!

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **prologue**

 **Origin Story: Part II**

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* * *

It was a painfully slow process for a baby to learn how to crawl, eventually walk, and finally prove themselves capable of enough independence that they didn't have to be carried around as if they were a block of wood.

Being a baby was maddening. Everything that I had lived up to went down the fucking drain because my stupid dorm mate killed me with his equally stupid baseball he'd thrown in a panic when I barged in while he and his girlfriend were having sex. In the beginning there was several black outs, allowing me to vaguely make out shapes of giant aliens hovering over me. It was terrifying at first, my body wouldn't move and I was in their absolute mercy; then as time went by, my blurry vision slowly began to clear up that my original assumption on alien abduction couldn't be further off the mark. Oh no, my fate was much more bizarre.

I was a baby sitting in the arms of my new parents.

Another mental freak out promptly followed afterwards.

Because really?! One moment I was dead and the next I was goddamn _baby_?! Like really, what the fuck?

The bitter ho routine slowly ran its course, weeks where I tried to stubbornly refuse the two strangers that were my new mother and father drained me enough that I ended up waking up at odd hours in the night. I was angry, I was in denial, and I was so so scared—but there was not a thing I could do. I couldn't get out of this new body of mine, I couldn't close my eyes and enter back into the abyss, I could swim back towards the last dark space where I first ended up.

In short, there was no scenario where I could simply return to my original body, my soft around the middle frame, my scruffy hair that went wild with the curls, my glasses I was always wearing because I was blind as a bat, not to mention my significantly taller frame that surpassed this physical form I was trapped inside of. But from the memories and the freaky situation, it was safe to assume that my body was probably already buried six feet under (death by baseball, _unbelievable_ ).

I was here, and I was here to stay.

Like my old man used to tell me every time he found me lamenting about my regrets and mistakes: "Suck it up, buttercup!"

Well, I thought as I watched the woman and man who were nearby, as might as well try to make the best of it. My unbalanced body then flopped down when I leaned a little too far backwards, thankfully I was sitting in the middle of a blanket so I didn't thump my head too bad. Soft footsteps joined me in the living room, and I stared up and _up_ to find the giant that was my new dad (dude was as tall as James Comey).

"Silly Kuzan," the big man chuckled as he crouched down to pick me up from the floor. "Hungry?"

The language barrier was a little difficult to navigate, but thankfully I wasn't totally deprived of the English language. The new mom was Caucasian-looking but her language spoke North European (I couldn't figure if she was German or Scandinavian, they sounded kind of similar to me) while my other parent was all Japanese. They communicated mostly through either English or whatever her language was since she could barely speak Japanese.

That was fine with me, I always wanted to learn a new language anyway.

My stomach gave a little growl which caused the two adults to giggle like a pair of idiots. I glared at them, but this only made them laugh more as my appearance amped up the cutie bar as most angry-looking babies did with their chubby cheeks and pouty lips.

The father passed me to his wife, and I was left in the care of a woman who sometimes made me stop and stare like I was caught in a trance.

Her eyes were unnatural.

I had never seen eyes like that. They were orange with small flecks of gold when brought close enough to the light, and the way they watched everything made me feel like she could see _anything_ and _everything_. It was totally creepy that I had to avoid her eyes, but sometimes I would end up staring at them like they were drawing me in.

And suddenly the woman was gesturing towards something behind me, turning herself so that I could see what she was pointing at whatever "papa" was doing.

My eyes went wide like saucers as I watched the man's long reach suddenly get a whole lot longer when his arm stretched itself across the kitchen counter to grab something he didn't want to walk all the way over to pick up.

I puked on the woman's shirt, appetite totally forgotten.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

It took awhile, but eventually I learned to suck it up and deal with it. Mom and dad weren't normal people—but that was normal.

First trip I took outside and I was met with more stranger things.

There was a neighbor that was all blue, like somebody threw him in a pot of blue paint, who waved at my mom like he wasn't some stunt double that walked off the set of Arrested Development. Mom didn't even pause or stare weirdly after the neighbor, just happily called out a greeting and then exited out of the front yard to walk along the streets.

An old lady who was walking her dog had floppy dog ears and a tail strode past us. A man with long-ass legs that could easily tower over my pops paused to pull out mail from his satchel and drop it in some mailbox before moving along to the next house. There was a group of teenagers who were waving their hands, making junk food float in the air before somebody shoo'd them away for blocking thr walkway. Overhead, somebody was flying and they were carrying a briefcase while frantically looking at their phone.

Everywhere I turned my head towards, I saw more and more bizarre things that I was absolutely gobsmacked that nobody was even bothered by it. It was like this was considered a normal thing to the average citizen.

Maybe I _was_ abducted by aliens...

A soft tap on the nose brought me back to attention to my mother as she giggled at my quick reaction. I gave a tiny grunt when she gave me a peck on the cheek, making her giggle some more. She continued to tease me as we walked alongside the streets, and I struggled to fight her off as best as I could with my hands, but she kept breaking through my defenses and tapping me on my dot of a nose.

At one point I even let out a shrill cry of anger, but mom only threw her head back and laughed.

We ended up somewhere that looked like a park. Without mom picking on me as she tried to calm herself from laughing herself to near death, my eyes wandered around to spot a few jungle gyms and little club houses scattered around the area.

"Grete!"

The familiar name I heard around the house had me turning in time with mom, finding a woman who looked eerily similar to mom. Platinum blond hair and ominous orange eyes, the lady waved at us as she closed the distance. I also noticed the small brood of children that stuck close to the woman's legs.

"Sissel," mom returned the greeting, pulling the woman in a one-armed hug when she was close enough.

Looking down, three pairs of creepy eyes stared right back at me. Thoroughly creeped out, I turned tail and ducked under mom's chin, hoping to pass the entire meeting and go back home where I can try to pretend I don't freak out when pops did his weird thing with his body. They were talking about me, I can hear it with how many times I hear my name being tossed around above my head as the adults conversed (it's Norwegian, by the way, I saw the country's flag when we passed some police station).

I'm pulled away from my hiding spot, forced to face the other woman and her Children of the Corn squad.

Mom was pointing at the woman Sissel before lowering herself so that I was within reaching distance for the creepy kids to come up to me. I started to get fussy, nervous of the spotlight forced on me, but mom held me still in her lap.

"Ingunn," she pointed at the first child who looked to be the oldest of the three. She had short hair that was cut into a bob, but her clothes told me she was more tomboyish than her other two sisters.

If Ingunn went looking like that, there was going to be a lot of people mistaking her for a boy. But hey, whether that was the idea or not, it was her choice. I was forced to redirect my attention once again when the other kids came up to face me.

"Sigrid, Ingrid," mom pointed at the two girls (twins which hyped up their creep factor they got going). Both girls had long hair, yet their hair color was so pale that I could have easily mistaken it as white from the distance. Had they been born with purple eyes, I would've thought them to be Targaryen cosplayers. What was funny was the twin cowlicks sticking up out of their heads like antennas, it was kind of cute.

But these kids were still creepy in my opinion.

Mom then pushed me in Ingunn's arms, leaving me to suffer their poking and prodding and squealing while she and aunt Sissel took a seat in a nearby bench to talk. Their expressions took a somber turn, and it was too bad I couldn't understand a lick of what they were saying because it did appear to be something serious. My attention however was disrupted when the three girls started singing songs and trying to get me to follow along.

I just wanted to go home and take another nap or something.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Wow, Kuzan!" mom gasped in surprise. "You did that all by yourself?"

It was such a dumb thing, but that didn't stop me from preening a little at the fact that I could now tie my own shoes.

Fun fact: I was born on the same date of the beginning of the Yuletide festivities (the old Germanic version of Christmas). My grandmother, when she was able to visit, would gather me and the other girls around the fire to tell stories about the Wild Hunt that went on when the cold was coldest and the night was darkest. Ghost stories were laughable, like the Goat Man and Chupacabra, but when the old woman wove her tales, it was like something ancient would enter the warm confines of the house and settle heavily over our heads. The fact that I was an adult trapped inside the body of a toddler made me rethink of what I knew of the world.

Granny sometimes wondered out loud what sort of omen it meant for me, her only grandson, to be born on the day of Yuletide (aka The Wild Hunt). Mom waved away her superstitions, pulling me away to sit me on the kitchen counter so I could play the role of taste tester for whatever delicious plates the women were cooking up.

The daylight hours grew shorter, and the winter didn't waste time in blanketing everything in heavy snow which meant I got to create an army of snowmen. My other aunt, Vigrid, also showed up to my birthday alongside her husband and two daughters.

Jorunn and Ida also shared the same creepy eyes like the rest of the family did. Their hair was more like uncle Jørgen, who was more of a strawberry blond than he was a Weasley ginger. Ingunn expressed so much jealousy on her other two cousins, staring at their cascading locks while glaring at her own boring hair color that appeared to be the more dominate feature of the family (excluding me).

"Hiya, Kuzan!" Jørgen greeted me, plucking me from my seat on the couch so he could lift me high in the air like I was the lion king. "You've gotten so big! Look at you!"

"'Sup," I returned the greeting while keeping a straight face. It was kind of fun to see the adults pause at the bland tone before they quickly caught on that I was messing with them.

Two years of listening gradually helped me to finally keep up with their language. I was able to speak Norwegian like the rest of my relatives, but Japanese was something I was still working on. Dad was teaching mom and I whenever he had the time, but he had a lot of work to do so that sometimes left me and mom to ourselves which resulted in me learning Norwegian a lot faster than Japanese.

Another fun fact: since the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Denmark, and Sweden) were kind of tied together, their language was very similar. Norway was the best at understanding the other two languages, Sweden was good with Norway but not so much with Denmark, and Denmark was treated as the odd man out (it had something to do with their dialect). Anyway, the point was that I was able, in a small way, to understand some Swedish and Danish. It wouldn't be for another few years until I got the other languages down, but the fact that I could earn myself additional languages to tie on my belt made me feel a tad bit giddy with excitement.

My birthday was still missing one important person.

Dad sadly couldn't make it back in time, no thanks to the stupid winter storms that froze all planes to the ground. The only thing he could do was wait out the storms in some hotel and call mom's phone so he could wish me a happy birthday.

"Daddy's gonna bring you back lots of presents," he promised. "Be a good boy for mommy, okay?"

"I love you daddy." I told him.

And surprisingly, I meant it.

I would always love my parents from before, they were the one who had to deal with me and my siblings even when were complete shits at the worst times, but we eventually got to adulthood and learned to appreciate all they had done for us. These new parents of mine started out as strangers, even briefly seen as monsters because of the weird things they did, but they did their best to make me happy, and for that I was grateful to them.

And gratefulness turned to fondness which then turned to love.

Even with their creepy eyes, I loved my cousins, too (they snuck me some candies and treated me like a king).

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

I saw myself for the first time.

Somehow, by some unknown means that still escapes me, I was not able to catch a glimpse of my reflection. I could see my own arms, feet, my tummy, and if I tried hard enough, maybe my nose. But even tracing my own face with my pudgy, sticky hands was never enough. All I knew was that I mostly took after dad, with his dark hair and more genetically dominate features as most Asians would with their children.

But then one day, after bath time, I finally saw myself.

Like I thought, I was more like my father's son with his dark hair and features—but my eyes were exactly like that of my mother, aunts, and cousins.

Those eyes which saw _everything_ and _anything_ were staring right back at me. Meanwhile, mom was drying off the rest of my body before moving to ruffle my hair like I was some wet dog which made me voice some protest against her treatment. Like always when I made angry eyes at her, she'd laugh at how cute it made me when I puffed my cheeks and furrowed my brows.

"You know, I've always wondered," mom started to say as she pulled out a hairbrush to comb my wild hair into submission, yet every time she failed to subdue the strands that refused to obey. "What kind of quirk you would end up getting? But I suppose that was a silly thing to think about now."

I froze.

"Quirk?"

"Oh, you know," mom shrugged as she brushed my hair. "The powers you get. Your daddy can stretch and I can sense things better than most people. That's why mommy's eyes are like this, so they could help me see things from far away like the spyglass your uncle Nils has in his office."

Quirks, powers, dad's stretching arms and mom's weird eyes.

"Kuzan?" mom picked me up from the sink's counter, her face alarmed as she took in my shocked features. "Darling, you look sick!"

She thankfully lifted the toilet seat up just in time when I just about puked my guts out.

 _'Oh my God!'_

Born in a world where people with superpowers could take up the mantle of becoming heroes, I mentally cursed and kicked myself because how the fuck did I not see this?! How the fucking hell did I not connect the dots?! A society that didn't bat an eyelash at people with physical mutations, this was far worse than dying and becoming a baby!

I had to die, become a baby, and live in a world that was fictional!

God did I wish I could somehow warp myself into another reality that was close to my old world so I could find my dorm mate and deck him across the face because this was not my favorite fandom to be reborn in!


	3. Origin Story: Prelude

**A/N:** Here's the third chapter in a row! I know things are slow, but we're finally getting to the good bits of starting the story for real! I bet you guys must be excited to hear that news, I know I am excited to finally get the steam rolling while it's hot.

Anyway, I also like to apologize any natives of the Nordic regions if my portrayal of the characters comes out wrong. I mean no disrespect to you guys, I did my small research from mostly in Youtube and therefore I apologize if it comes off as offensive to your culture. I find Norse mythos both complex and fascinating, and I also wanna try and put some symbolism into the story if I can. Anyway, enough about that, time to read the next chapter! I appreciate how a lot of people favor this story, but I'd love it more if people leave more comments behind in the review below! Thanks for your comment _Trougue_ , I appreciate it!

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **prologue**

 **Origin Story: Part III**

 **.**

* * *

It was a couple of days after I had turned three that I finally got to meet my elusive grandfather for the first time.

The girls and I were watching ancient stop-motion Christmas movies (because those were timeless classics). We all were munching on a couple of s'mores we made outside when our parents allowed us to go out and have fun in the snow while someone got the fire pit going. Eyes glued on the singing snowmen on the television screen, mom, Sissel, and Vigrid noticed something. Someone was coming towards the front door.

Jorunn, Ida, and Ingunn perked up in alarm, all three of their heads whipping towards the door like spooked animals sensing the approach of a dangerous predator. Looking between them and the adults, I wondered what was going on. Why was everyone acting like something bad was about to happen?

Mom went to the front door and opened it—

"What the _helvete_ are you doing here...?!"

I didn't need to guess what that new word meant.

Aunt Sissel and Vigrid hurried towards the entrance of the house while dad trailed after them like an angry, hulking bear who's hibernation had gotten cut short a tad too early. I've never seen dad angry before, and it was a look so black and ferocious that it made me wilt a little from the insides. Uncle Jørgen was quick to go after dad (probably to hold him back in case things got physical), and he was gesturing for uncle Nils to gather the rest of the kids so we wouldn't have to witness a shouting match between the stranger at the door and my family.

"Get off my property, Aksel!" I heard mom angrily snap at the stranger. "You are not welcome here!"

"I leave you alone for six years and this is how all that hard work to educate you paid off? Why am I not surprised," a voice like frozen steel was heard, making me blink at the sudden frosty gust that blew by me from the door. "Don't behave like some idiot, Grete. You were taught better than that."

" _Gå og pul deg selv_!"

Uncle Nils picked me up from the floor when he noticed I wasn't moving fast enough. Ingunn tried to drag me away, but I was too absorbed by the argument to follow her. It was in that moment that I finally got a glimpse of the Gunnarsen patriarch who no one ever wanted to talk about. He wasn't that tall, barely reaching mom's height, but something about his presence felt demanding and powerful like you couldn't lay a single hand on him. The old man was dressed in warm clothes, looking both stylish and expensive enough to cost more than some condo in Manhattan, New York.

His face had a slight resemblance to mom's and my other aunts, but when his eyes flickered towards me—

 _I was a pathetically weak baby bird left alone to stare up into the blood red sky. Shadows circled above me, growing bigger from every turn until finally they had enough of waiting for their food to die. The giant raptors swooped in, talons like knives digging into my meat, beaks lunging forward to grab whatever piece was available and yanked on the bloody flesh—_

" _DON'T YOU LOOK AT HIM_!"

The sound of a sharp slap against skin broke me out of my hellish vision.

I was no longer lying helplessly in the middle of a dead desert. I was no longer a feeble creature left to die and be eaten alive.

I didn't hold back in throwing up the sickeningly sweet junk that twisted painfully in my stomach.

Grasping for breath, I tried to suck up all the air like my head had been dunked under water for far too long. My heart was drumming frantically, and all I could do was clutch onto whoever was holding me (was it dad? Uncle Nils? Somebody?). Mom was screaming at the top of her lungs, body thrashing against the hold of her brother-in-law when she tried lunging towards the old man. Dad was being held back by two big guys that seemingly appeared out of nowhere (probably bodyguard the old man brought along with him). I couldn't look at the old man, I didn't want to see that awful nightmare again.

Someone once said you could tell about how a person was feeling by observing their body language and facial expressions, but in this new world where having a super power was the norm, I could literally _feel_ the old man's contempt for me. His loathing, his malice, his utter disdain for my existence, it was only for a fraction of a second that our eyes connected, but it was enough for him to swallow me whole and spit me back out. He came to my home with one purpose.

So long as I was here, he would make me suffer.

How messed up was that? An old man threatening a toddler with horrifying visions, forcing them to watch and experience first hand how violent death could be... It made my stomach twist into tangled knots thinking that he had the freedom to do such a heinous thing. I was afraid to see his hatred taking form as giant vultures who didn't hesitate ripping apart a small, defenseless creatures.

Because that's what I was right now: I was too small and I was defenseless, and he wasn't going to stop until he devoured every last bit of me.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

A couple of weeks after that disastrous first meeting with the old man, weeks which were spent losing sleeping and screaming myself hoarse from the bloody images my dear old man left me with, my parents finally decided it was time to go. It was too soon, to rushed, but dad was determined to pack everything we owned and get out of Norway. They too had enough of sleepless nights where they were awakened by my blood curdling shrieks, angry and guilty of the nightmares I suffered from, and tired from reassuring our neighbors who were just as spooked from constantly hearing my screams in the dead of night.

I never wanted to spend another moment in my house. Sometimes I flinched when I thought I saw a shadow pass the front door, waiting for the old man appear so he would capture me and send me into another round of hell. Moving to a new country was a bit of a hassle, but if it meant being far away from the old man then I had no complaints.

Dad began to put in more effort in teaching me and mom more Japanese. I did mostly okay because I remembered phrases which I heard from watching tons of anime, so it made the learning process a bit easier for me than it did for mom. However, she and I still felt the challenge of having to learn the entire language.

Learning Japanese became an exercise that I gradually got better with because of my cousins who were also eager to learn another language. We chatted as we spent time with our grandmother who lived in Denmark. We spoke while we played, explored parks and hiking trails with the adults, and sometimes when we visited a playground. We got the occasional odd look, but nobody really payed too much mind to a bunch of children. It was quite the learning experience for us all, and while we stumbled over the vowels, grandma said it was a lot better than learning French because we were least likely to accidentally insult someone.

"I'm going to miss you," Sigrid said one day when our impending departure drew close.

"I'll miss the candy." I told her.

"Why don't you take some candy to give to your new friends?" Ida suggested, but her eyes were more focused on her smartphone.

"He can't do that. They don't let people take snacks across countries." Ingunn dismissed her sister.

"He can order it online." Jorunn pointed out. "Dad always ordered snacks from Germany."

"Oh yeah."

Our discussion from snacks turned to tips about school. My fourth birthday wouldn't be around for a long while but it was better to be prepared than find myself overwhelmed, or so my cousins told me. And the weird thing was, I felt nervous at the idea of being surrounded by a group of strange kids. The only kids I usually hung around with were my cousins, and sometimes the other little tykes on the playground when the girls couldn't see me because of school, but my main squad would always be them.

Sigrid and Ingrid did their best to guide me on what to expect in the first days of school, but I felt that their advise wouldn't do much as schools from different countries tended to differ from one another. I still indulged them, nodding at the right time when they expected me to understand what they were talking about.

I was going to sorely miss them.

Two days before my family would take a plane to Japan, we all gathered together at grandma's house to have a small going away party. I was at the receiving end of a lot of goodbye kisses, yet I didn't mind their affections. We were going to be separated for a long while, and there was no telling for the next physical meeting we would have because the only way I would ever contact them was through phone calls, messages, and telecommunications. I would never be able to come back here, not while the old man would loom over us like a dark shadow that refused to go away, so every minute spent with them had to count.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

It was obvious that things would be different, but it was kind of surreal to experience just how different Japan was Scandinavia. For one, the weather was a lot more warmer than it was back home, and the people here was more clustered than spread out due to how tight the buildings and streets were which forced everyone to share the same space, and lastly, there was also the issue of it being—

"Hey! He stole my purse!"

"Somebody stop him!"

A city full of constant crimes.

Almost each block we drove past was busy with something happening. These petty crimes thankfully were dealt with quickly by the local heroes who were instantly on them like flies to freshly spilled honey. Mom was gobsmacked the entire time, her eyes darting quickly to catch every movement as the taxi driver leisurely drove past the crime scenes. She made sure to tuck me between herself and dad, her hand resting on top my head so she could hide my face which did nothing to drown out what I could imagine was happening outside.

To think I used to watch this stuff behind a television screen, but now that I was up close and personal? I was trembling like a leaf. I could make out people who were standing there like a bunch of idiots, watching what was happening with awe in their eyes. How did these people have no regard for their own safety? Weren't they afraid of getting caught up in the perimeter? Bunch of idiots, I swore.

"It's okay, darling," came mom's gentle assurance, even though she was feeling just as paranoid as I was. "Daddy says we'll be okay."

There was silence in the taxi cab.

"What?" I heard dad murmur quietly to mom.

She was probably giving him a stink eye over my head where she kept my face tucked under he neck.

"You could've picked a better place. Isn't there some country side we could've lived in? It's much more dangerous to live in a crowded city!"

"Believe me, I tried looking for one. The only reason I got a job here is because Taishirō put in a good word for me. The police department in Musutafu needed all the man power they could afford, so they can't really complain who they're hiring."

" _Herregud_!" mom hissed under her breath.

"Grete, it was the only way. They wouldn't take me anywhere else...!"

"It's been a couple of years now, and you would think they—"

"Well, this country here was the best option I had left," dad retorted, his tone borderline snappish.

"..."

There was something going on besides family drama, I thought, and it was starting to bother me. It was clear that the union between mom and dad had not been met with open arms by the old man, so it explained why he had been out of the picture of my life until recently. And there was the odd tale or two about my fourth aunt whom I never got to meet (along with her husband and children). My suspicion on the family only grew when I noticed the reactions of my cousins, all of them being horrified of what the old man did to me, and it suggested that never had they been subjected to his brutal visions... which meant his problem was with me specifically.

Slowly, the clues started to piece together the mysterious puzzle, and the picture it painted left me feeling anxious.

Mom and dad were a match never meant to be. My aunts were married to men who impressed the old man, and when mom didn't play along, aunt Trine was the one who paid for it. And this was all from mom's side of the family, I realized, so it made me nervous to think about what issues dad was facing from his side of the family.

As far as I knew, dad only talked about our cousin who was helping him out (in exchange for getting to live in our house for the next three years). It's like he mostly pretended that he didn't have any family members... or maybe _they_ were the ones pretending he didn't exist. My head started to hurt thinking about it.

My carefree life ended on my third birthday. Gone were the days I liked to impress the adults with things like tying my shoes and cleaning up after myself, gone were the days I would spend the night in one of my cousin's rooms where we played video games together, gone were the days were I went exploring places I imagined felt magical when I followed after my grandma inside the forests from behind her property.

I had seen enough television and anime shows to know what happened to people blamed for things that ruined their society. I remembered watching Naruto as he sat on a swing alone, hearing every spiteful word from the villagers who shunned him; I remembered the way Ace was revealed to be a lonesome and angry child, hurt and disgusted by his blood from the many people who bad-mouthed his biological father years after the Pirate King died and wondering why he even existed in the first place.

It was bad enough knowing that there was one person who hated me with every fiber of their being, but it terrified me more to wonder who else shared those same feelings. Who else was out there wishing me to be torn to pieces? Who out there in this city, this prefecture, this country that wished me to disintegrate into nothing?

Whatever the case, I probably was going to end up in the suicide's watch list before I turned ten.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

There was somebody taller than dad waiting outside of the house that was going to be our new home.

He was like probably Shaquille O'Neal tall.

"Hey Enzō!" the giant stranger greeted dad when we stepped out of the taxi cab we hitched a ride in. "You sure took your time."

"They had to block traffic for almost an hour because of some villain. One thing I never had to deal with back in Bærum."

"Must've been nice over there, huh?"

"Let me tell you, cousin, I don't have to watch the next step I take when I'm crossing the street over there than I do here."

It hadn't been a day and already I was beginning to hate it here. Everything was too crowded, too slow, and crime exploded here and there like uncontrollable firecrackers in the middle of the fourth of July. It was exhausting waiting inside a car for an hour just to cross into the next street, waiting for the asshole villain who thought it a great idea to hold the entire line of angry drivers before he got caught by a bunch of heroes.

I spotted the moving truck, some of our furniture was taking up the entire sidewalk. Mom went ahead into the house after greeting the tall guy, eager to settle her fragile boxes and probably get dinner going because she was hungry. My tummy gave a small whine which complained that it too was hungry for something besides biscuits and cheese from the plane ride.

"So this must be little Kuzan, huh?"

A large hand almost engulfed my head.

"Hey there, buddy! I'm Taishirō!" the giant introduced himself with a wide grin spread across his shockingly youthful face. He looked like a teenager!

"This is our cousin, Kuzan." dad said, pointing at the giant. "He's also a superhero!"

"Well, not exactly," Taishirō laughed, still ruffling my head and turning it into a mess mom was going to lament about later on. "I'm in the middle of my first year at school where I can eventually become a licensed hero. But I got an internship!"

"Holy crap, you actually got in?" dad gawked at the blond.

"Oh yeah. Entrance exams were crazy like they said it would be; our teacher is also a real slave driver with all the pop quizzes he keeps throwing at everyone, but I got into U.A. high."

 _'Holy shit!'_

What were the chances of being related to a student who was attending U.A. High School? Was he some random hero who wasn't shown in the anime? That seemed more likely, I thought.

It also made me wonder where in the timeline did I end up in. Was Deku still in middle school, or was he already training himself to enter the school with All Might guiding him? Was that bag of dicks Bakugō still terrorizing the green-haired shrimp? Was All Might still All Might? Too busy trying to answer each question that came bouncing through my skull, I barely paid any mind to the conversation between dad and our cousin. I was jostled out of my thoughts when dad adjusted his hold of me, and I barely picked up Taishirō's reply after dad had asked him about his hero codename.

"I go by Fat Gum."

I almost swallowed my own tongue.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

I stared at my preschool uniform with a critical eye. I had seen enough anime to think they were cute on young characters, but to actually find myself wearing baby blue fabric that was worn like an oversized T-shirt with a yellow cap sitting atop my head? Yeah, no thank you. I could do without that.

"Isn't this just cute, Kuzan?" mom giggled madly, lifting the soft baby blue fabric in the air for all to see. "Go on, try it! I wanna take pictures!"

"No!" I protested vehemently, glaring at the uniform.

"Oh, please~!" mom begged, shuffling closer with the intent to gently coax me into a false sense of safety before pouncing for the jugular. "Mommy just wants to see her handsome boy in his school clothes."

 _Psh_ , yeah right. The last time she said something similar to me, it ended up with dozens of embarrassing nude baby photos taken when she had me taking a bath in the kitchen sink. I could still hear the mad cackling from my aunts even to this day, so I was more than determined to never give her anymore blackmail material she would definitely throw in my face should I do something to earn her ire.

...

Unfortunately, she won the battle.

I was growling under my breath, glaring at the cutesy name tag strapped on the front of my school uniform. I was tempted to throw down the yellow cap into the street for some car to run over, but that would be a waste of money and I was a total cheapskate that always picked the cheapest thing so I wouldn't force my parents to spend so much money on me. I could still remember the terrifying speeches my high school leather teachers would give, scaring the crap out of the entire student body to keep us from accidentally becoming the new stars of Teen Moms. Because if you were gonna have a baby, you better be ready to pay for it, both figuratively and quite _literally_!

Which was why, besides keeping mostly quiet and barely throwing tantrums, I did my best to be a good kid for the couple raising me. I never did things like cry in front of strangers when I didn't get my way (I just became passive aggressive), I didn't dismiss instructions given to me by my parents when they needed me to be on my best behavior, and did what simple chores I could do to make living easier for them. It must've boggled everyone's minds how well-mannered I was than most children, but my parents were mostly relieved I wasn't a total brat.

Like right now as I was in the middle of tearing off the uniform from my head.

"Kuzan! Stop that!"

I ignored mom's admonishing tone and threw the uniform on the ground. I could hear dad trying to muffle his laugh from somewhere in the background, but his fun was cut short by the sharp glare mom threw over her shoulder.

Mom and dad were talking with the caretaker/teachers, alongside a bunch of other parents that were dropping off their children who were clinging to their parents' skirts/slacks. I spotted a few crybabies that were terrified of the thought of being left behind by their parents. It made me think of way back when I was starting out in my first day of school, also clinging onto my mom's legs because I was terrified of being left alone with strangers in an unfamiliar place.

Sure, I wasn't afraid to admit that I was also nervous myself, but I had a better time hiding it than most others.

"Hey," I watched as an adult noticed my dad. "You're Sengoku."

My dad's easy-going face suddenly took a 180, his laughing eyes and poorly hidden smile immediately disappearing that I felt alarmed. The other adults instantly noticed the frigid exchange, mom especially when her attention on me whipped towards the man confronting my dad.

"Wow," the man started, giving mom a once over before his eyes flicked back towards dad. "I can see why you thought it must've been worth it. All that hard work on the deals and contracts gone up in flames because you—"

" _Anata_!" the man's wife snapped, grabbing her husband by the arm. "Enough! You're tired from work. We came to drop off Miki. This is about Miki, don't forget that."

It didn't keep him from giving my dad and mom one last disgusted look before following his wife (who I noticed didn't apologize for her husband). There was an awkward and tense silence afterwards, and I felt some intense secondhand embarrassment for my parents. Jesus, that guy wasn't as bad as the old man but really? Confronting someone in front of a bunch of people with little children nearby? What an ass! Not that it mattered because all the children remained completely oblivious to everything that occurred since they were more intrigued by the toys, murals, and new stuff that littered around the colorful room.

I was the only rugrat who paid any attention, who was once more exposed to something I knew was going to have an effect on me later in my life. Thinking about it just made feel sick because my God I was not prepared for that.

Just what the hell did my parents do that pissed off the old man and now possibly the entire city we moved into?

 ** _tap tap!_**

I blinked out of my staring and turned towards the source that poked my shoulder.

I froze.

"Um, y-you dropped this."

Three-year-old Midoriya Izuku was holding up the baby blue uniform I threw away earlier. With his freckled face blooming red, it showed just how painfully shy he was to approach me in his dutiful quest to return my uniform. Not far behind him, the little shit Bakugō Katsuki was trying to rip off the uniform from his head, also ignoring his mom who was cursing up a storm from somewhere else in the crowd of parents.

" _Herregud_." I muttered to myself.

Whelp, I guess that answered my question.


	4. Prelude: What I Can

**A/N:** Chapter four has arrived, my bitches! This chapter is also a little longer than previous chapters, so hooray for that! More and more readers are coming in and favoring this story, so that's another good tip to start the day. I know, I'm still dragging the story a little, and I know you guys are already wanting to get to the good parts, but this is a slow build that needs to be done in order to construct a plot I have in mind.

Remember, the summary has Canon Divergence typed up there. And remember, you need a box of tissues.

Trust me, you'll need them for much later on in the later chapters. For now, enjoy the fluffs and sugary parts! Just remember to leave a review please, I like to hear what people have to say whether it be constructive criticism or someone demanding an update (don't actually do that, that's kind of considered rude to a lot of authors, just saying). Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **Prelude: Part I**

 **.**

* * *

It was official.

I hated preschool.

Like I mentioned before, I was an adult stuck in the body of a toddler, so anything that was related to Sesame Street easy was going to make me want to bash my head into the nearest solid surface; I wanted a challenge, I wanted to work my brain like a steam engine until it gave out, I wanted to focus on something, and god _dammit_ I wanted to hurry the fuck up and grow to become an independent adult again because I didn't do stupid shit like singing garbled lyrics out of a nursery rhyme.

I was literally too old to have a second childhood!

I clapped my hands over my ears, trying to drown out the cacophony of little children who's voices threatened to make my ears bleed because their pitches of the tune were off key. How the hell did those caretakers deal with this shit? Did they have some sort of quirk that allowed them to become immune to the awful racket the kids were making?

My eyes always often wandered towards the windows and doorway, wondering if I should risk getting into trouble if I made a break for it. This was torture, and I couldn't stomach hearing another song that sounded like it got ripped off of Barney the Purple Dinosaur. I wished nap time would arrive, or maybe they'd finally let us loose to play with all the pent up energy that was gathering around (or maybe it was just me being impatient), anything really so I could stop hearing their voices.

"Are you okay?"

Midoriya Izuku, ever the kind soul to wear his heart in a sleeve; even to a complete stranger.

It was for this reason why I never liked his character.

He was so easy to target, to manipulate, and his kindness even after being bullied by his so-called childhood "friend" (the little bastard was standing not two feet away from us, bellowing at the top of his lungs like he was screaming bloody murder and not singing along a lullaby) was unrealistic that I immediately written him off as a poorly written protagonist. The only reason why I was aware of his existence at all was because my dorm mate was a really big fan of the fandom thus forcing me to sit down and watch it with him alongside his other buddies who were into it.

I winced when someone gave a really high-pitched shout that sounded more like a shrill dog whistle going off directly next to my ear, my head ducking to squeeze itself further between my hunched shoulders while my hands tried their best to mute the horrible racket that surrounded me.

 _'God, just make it stop already!'_

I could feel a migraine beginning to form.

And suddenly it all went quiet as if someone actually found the mute button and pressed it. I blinked, not remembering when I scrunched my eyes close, and looked up to find many of the kids staring at me. Oh God, if there was another thing I hated besides screaming little children, it was being put in the damn spotlight like I was some sideshow carnival freak. Belatedly realizing I still had my hands clamped over my ears, I quickly whipped them back to my sides.

"—oud noises h-hurts his ears."

Realizing a certain someone not standing where I last saw him, I easily spotted the familiar mop of green curls standing where the caretakers were. Their eyes flashed over towards where I was which made my insides flop uncomfortably. I rubbed my ears without thinking, pivoting my body away from the stares so I could focus on something to calm my slightly frazzled nerves.

"Are you alright, Sengoku?" one of the caretakers asked, tone polite. "Did we hurt your ears?"

Tentatively, I nodded my head, still unable to look at them or anyone else.

"Is your quirk starting to show up, Sengoku?"

Stilling, I was surprised by the question. Thinking back on it, I barely noticed the subtle transition in where my hearing was becoming more sensitive to sounds. Mom was a doctor who was able to measure a person's heartbeat without a stethoscope (not to mention how good she was at listening to a person's pulse when they tried to lie to her face). Because I inherited the peculiar eyes my mother's family was so widely recognized for, my five senses were also beginning to manifest in a way that was superior than most. It was like Daredevil and Hawkeye did a fusion dance and migrated all the way to Norway.

"Yes." I replied quietly.

"Alright then. How about we do something else, hm? Anyone up for painting?"

The kids went ballistic, each of them excited at the prospect of literally getting their hands dirty. I watched them go as they followed the heels of the caretakers; the two adults searched the high drawers that was kept out of the reach of the children to produce a small pile of blank papers, each paper distributed to the rambunctious tykes that some of them ended up tearing their paper by accident.

God, I was not looking forward to the next ten years of doing this shit all over again.

"D-do you feel better?"

Midoriya Izuku was standing off to the side, little fingers twiddling together while his feet shifted nervously. He looked like a fire hydrant that was about to burst and I was tempted to step away if only to steer clear from that.

However, seeing as the kid helped me out of that hellish, chalk board screeching sing along, I wasn't going to pull a dick move and ignore him like he was a ghost. Poor kid was going to deal with some tough shit as he got older, not to mention it would be downright shitty of me to do that when I was inevitably turned into everyone's punching bag for whatever unnamed crimes my parents committed.

"Yeah. I'm good. Thanks." I said, giving a stiff nod.

"Izuku-kun, Sengoku, come get some paper!"

I was quick to catch on to the caretaker's subtle favor between me and the rest of the other kids. Everyone here was called by their first names thanks to the name tags strapped at the front of our preschool uniforms, but the caretakers were referring me by my family name which would encourage other kids to do so because kids always followed the adults example. With everyone put at the top pedestal, I was the one left to stay at the bottom.

Well, I thought, it was just a name. No reason to be bothered.

"Ah, you wanna share colors with me...?" I heard Midoriya quietly ask when he noticed I wasn't moving, twiddling with his little fingers again.

Again, I saw no harm in humoring him. "Sure."

Midoriya, along with the majority of the tykes, were favoring colors like red, yellow, and some bits of blue to paint various pictures of, you guessed it, All Might.

Meanwhile, I kept my picture simple. It was easy to remember the shapes of the mountains when I woke up to the early morning dew, how the mist rolled over the pine trees that surrounded us and seeped through the waking streets, and I could never forget the pleasant scent of the air after the thunderstorms rolled past and left behind a damp earth. It was also easy for me to recall my little explorations through the green forests when I went to Denmark, getting lost inside the tall trees and rocks and bending creeks while hearing grandma whisper tails of trolls and fairies hiding inside the forests of her family's lands. The girls and I looking, searching, finding things, shying away from mushroom rings and twisting trees that appeared to be gateways that could lead into the fae kingdoms.

So this was what homesickness felt like, I thought somberly.

"What's that?"

Blinking back to reality, I found a pair of red eyes staring at my drawing with equal parts confusion and fascination.

Bakugō Katsuki appeared as though he had been walked out of a paintball fight, his uniform covered in splotches of various colors. Even with the apron he was told to wear, it did nothing to save the kid's uniform and I suspected his mom wasn't going to take it well once the parents came to pick us up.

A discolored finger pointed at my picture.

"Whatchya drawing?" he asked again, impatient at my lack of response.

"Home." I replied.

"Where's home?"

"Somewhere far away." I said.

"How far?"

Nothing I said seemed to satisfy this kid, and he didn't look like he was going to leave me alone any time soon. It shouldn't have been surprising though, this was after all the same foul-mouthed asshat who had serious anger issues a mile wide it made the killer bunny from Monty Python look like, well, a _bunny_.

"Very far."

"How far is very far?"

I glanced around to find something to distract the kids, but the caretakers were busy and they didn't seem to catch my subtle pleads for help (or maybe they were ignoring me on purpose), so it was up to me to brainstorm a brilliant plan on how to rid the boy. Not a second later, an idea popped up in my head. Bakugō was an attention-seeker, so all I had to do was turn the topic on him. The kid obviously loved to be the center of attention, moreso because he though he was the most extraordinary thing since sliced bread.

"What's that?" I pointed at his paper.

"It's All Might, dumbass!"

I had to inhale deeply.

From the corner of my peripheral view, one of the caretakers was giving the ash blond-haired boy a look, but instead of confronting him, they simply turned the other cheek. I guess it's because his attention was focused on solely on me.

"Who's All Might?" I asked while glaring at the back of the caretaker's head.

Didn't these dumbasses realize that the longer they continued to neglect Bakugō's behavior problem, the more likely he was going to grow up thinking that there was no limit to what he couldn't get away with? Was it like that everywhere else? Did people seriously ignore that sort of thing from the kids they were suppose to be looking after? I was no expert on children but even I knew that there had to be a limit with kids to prevent them from becoming narcissistic assholes, such is the case for Bakugō Katsuki.

There was a pause in the room, and I noticed the stunned expressions on their faces. I mean, I kind of already know about All Might due to my past life, but he hadn't really come up in conversation because all I ever heard about heroes was that they were super powered policemen in colorful costumes.

In Norway, heroes weren't constantly in your face like they were hero. We had them, don't get me wrong, we just didn't advertise them in shampoo commercials or turn them into special guest hosts to a game show. The heroes back home took their jobs seriously, and they even sometimes joined special organizations outside of the hero community like homeland security or U.N. issued rescue missions. Every other day, a hero would show up on television to do a PSA segment to bring attention the issue, take part in news conference to bring up reports on hostage situations, villain threats, natural disasters, and such other important things to keep the public notified of what was going on.

And that was just from what I knew about how Norway worked. Every community across the globe functioned in a unique way that suited the society they were based in. There was some communities that were treated like extended military branches, some like mercenary squads in small, rural areas, and others like a business monopoly. But like any organization that worked to benefit the rest of the public, it was not without controversy. I couldn't think of a better example than Captain Celebrity from America.

He was an incredibly popular hero, flexible for aerial combat and ground work in both hostile situations and rescue missions. Yet even with his great deeds, he was not without flaws as told through hero forums and gossip mags. People talked about how he only seemed to rescue certain people, from important figures to cute girls, and how he was involved with a lot of women despite already being engaged with someone else. I could only imagine how crazy he was driving his PR team. I almost wanted to order a gift basket and send it to his company as a way of consoling and appreciating their efforts in trying to rein in that man.

I was brought back from my musings when the kids exclaimed, "You don't know _All Might_?!"

It was treated like a blasphemous sin, coming across someone who never heard of Japan's number one Pro Hero. Bakugō looked ready to drop what he was doing so he could grab the front of my uniform and shake me, like it would help him in trying to beat some sort of logic into my head because a world without All Might was impossible as a solar system without its sun.

That kind of thinking was plain stupid and, quite frankly, disturbingly unhealthy. It made people feel needy and helpless rather than adults who ran a society that was known to not easily surrender to the enemy (until atomic bombs were dropped on their heads).

...

"How was school?"

"I hated it."

" _Ouch_. You don't pull punches, do you?"

It was only the first day in preschool and yet it felt like I had spent a week in boot camp.

Because mom was a doctor who was going to work long hours at the hospital, and dad also had to go through several exams and physical courses to be accepted into the police force, this left my giant cousin Taishirō to pick me up and take me home. He was easy to spot, standing a couple of heads taller than every adult in the vicinity with a wide grin on his face when he saw me coming towards him.

Because I could, I raised my arms in the universal gesture of wanting to be picked up. I wasn't disappointed.

The giant teen easily scooped me up in his arms and I was able to look over his shoulder to watch the other mortals below take their children. I caught the man who was an asshole to my parents drag his daughter away, uncaring how the little girl struggled to keep in step with him. That jackass could go fuck himself for all I care.

"Jerk." I mumbled quietly to myself, resting my head against the teen's broad shoulder.

Without meaning to, I found Midoriya and Bakugō standing near their parents' legs. Bakugō looked like he was going to pitch a fit because his folks were prolonging the trip back home with their useless chatter, meanwhile Midoriya behaved like a good little boy scout and waited for his mom to finish talking with the adults.

Unfortunately, I didn't slip away from the area unseen.

"Hey, dumbass!"

 _'Damn mouthy little shit, couldn't wait to cause a scene.'_ I growled.

Everyone, including Taishirō, had stopped to stare in shock at the language the little boy was spouting. Ignoring the other people murmuring all around him, the kid raced past his parents' legs towards my direction. Why the hell couldn't he have just minded his own business? Didn't he have other people to bother besides me? His dumb friend Midoriya was right fucking there!

And why the hell couldn't my cousin have moved faster? He had longer legs than anyone else around here, he could have easily been a block away from this place with just a few steps.

"Dumbass?" Taishirō mouthed, still in the grips of shock from hearing a four-year-old child cuss out like that.

"Katsuki, what the hell are you doing?! Get back here!" Bakugō's mom ordered, but the brat ignored her. " _Katsuki_!"

The brat halted right in front of Taishirō and the kid had to crane his head nearly all the way back to make eye contact. Red and orange clashed and I looked away first to meet my cousin's eyes.

"Is this a friend of yours?"

"I don't know him."

Poor guy looked painfully uncertain on how to respond but Bakugō beat him to the punch.

"He doesn't know who the fuck All Might is." Bakugō declared for all the world to hear, but everyone was too busy having their jaws drop to the floor at the crass language rather than the revelation that I didn't know who the number one hero of Japan was.

As more parents were questioning what sort of household the boy was being raised to speak in such a way, a hand slapped the ash blond-haired boy from the back of his head. An older and female-looking Bakugō Katsuki gave her son a warning glare before she turned towards Taishirō and me.

"Sorry about that. He's really excited to meet new people besides Inko's son, Izuku," she nodded towards Midoriya's mother who looked like she wanted the ground to eat her from the spectacle the Bakugō's were creating. Bakugō's father looked appropriately horrified and embarrassed as well, but he said nothing. Coward.

"Ah, that's okay...?" even my cousin wasn't so sure how to respond to the older woman.

"Katsuki! The next time you wanna say hi, say it properly!" the woman snapped down at her son, raising a brow at the way he glared viciously towards his own mother. She snorted and looked towards me, "What's your name, sweetie?"

I blinked, shocked at the whiplash of emotions from fury to calm.

"Sengoku..." I mumbled, looking away from her sharp red eyes.

"And you've never heard of All Might, huh? Well, that's okay. I'm sure Katsuki here will bring over his books and toys for you to see."

"That's what I was gonna do, you old hag!"

"Shut your trap, you little shit!"

Trying very hard to ignore the cursing and violence between parent and child, Taishirō patted my back as he knelt down so the little brat didn't have to keep bending his head backwards in order to keep eye contact with me.

"Ah well, he just came in from another country about a month ago. I'm sure he'd appreciate someone telling him our number one masco—I mean, our number one hero."

"Where from?" Midoriya, who was now joining in, asked.

"Norway."

"Oh!" Bakugō's dad snapped his fingers. "I thought he looked familiar. He's Grete Gunnarsen's boy, isn't he?"

I watched the group of adults carefully, knowing full well that my family wasn't going to be receiving any sort of warm receptions by the populace who were angry over something I had yet to identify. My cousin immediately seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, his arms wrapping themselves more tightly around my body and pulling me closer to his chest, warily eyeing the group.

" _Ahh_ , he does have the eyes," Midoriya's mom noted. "How do you like Japan so far, Sengoku-kun?"

"It's okay." I said, voice neutral.

" _Haha_! That must've pissed off the old bastard! Whatever! Anything that makes Aksel lose his shit, it's a good day in my book!"

My head snapped up towards the woman, surprised at the declaration that there was someone besides my parents and other family members who held a strong dislike for the old man.

"Oh look, he's smiling!"

Startled, I realized that yeah, I was smiling. I flinched when a hand ruffled my dark hair for a brief moment but calmed to find the ash blond woman cackling when she pulled away. She tilted her head to give her husband an incredibly smug look.

" _See_ , I told you! I'm totally acing this parenting job!"

"Oh course, Mitsuki..." the other man sighed heavily.

Forget what I said about Bakugō's messed up family dynamics; I _liked_ her.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

It took awhile, but I was eventually left to my own devices long enough to sneak onto the computer desktop to do some researching. What I found on the internet helped piece together what I've been missing.

The Gunnarsens owned a giant corporation spread across the Nordic regions, but the main base was high north in Norway. The whole thing started with my great grandfather who monopolized small businesses, but it only started to expand into a giant corporation when Aksel Gunnarsen took over. Beating every competition, he bought his opponents companies and added it to his ranks, branding it under his own title. The company was full of various departments from research and development, funding medical research, inventing quirk equipment to aid heroes on the field, and distributing quirk aid to the average who didn't have a full handle of their quirk. Not only that, but the old man was filthy rich.

I guess that explained a lot about why the rest of my family members lived in luxurious homes.

But looking at the situation outside and how constant breaking news seemed to be appearing on the television screen, things were not as in control as I thought it would be in this new country. Heroes were in disrepair because of the lack of resources they no longer access to, the average civilian more likely a danger to themselves and everyone around them because they couldn't control their powers, and natural disasters being so much harder than it was before... everything ruined because the old man decided he no longer supported Japan.

Japan was in danger of collapse without the aid of outside help—because the old man was angry that my mom married dad.

And this is when everything fell into place.

Uncle Jørgen wasn't just a university professor, he was also a chemist which went amazingly with his quirk. Combining chemicals which he summoned from their source materials which was almost pretty much everywhere. If you wanted water, he would draw out the hydrogen from the atmosphere to create water; if you wanted fire, give him a small dash of gunpowder and with a snap of his fingers there was a fire sitting in the palm of his hand.

He was also a research and developer at the university he worked at, constantly creating and synthesizing new materials beneficial to all sorts of communities. It wasn't so hard to see why Aksel thought it would do him good to keep the man close, and what better way to do that than allow him the permission to marry his eldest daughter?

Uncle Nils was a people person. He was a fast-talking salesman that could convince anyone to buy a product and then watch the buyer walk away with more items than they originally intended to purchase. His quirk was a weird but effective one when used correctly in the right circumstances: gambling. Aunt Sissel had to keep him away from lotteries and poker games because the more luck he used, the more bad karma was going to turn itself around and bite him in the ass. His job meant that he was often times present with Aksel, watching the meetings before doing his thing by drawing in the potential buyers with presentations that showed promising results for the interested party.

Being his money-maker and circus ring leader, the old man didn't make a fuss when Nils married the second daughter.

And then there was dad.

Dad was nobody special. Sure, he used to serve in the military but that didn't end with him having connections in high places, and he wasn't anyone of noteworthy to turn the old man's head. He was just a random dude who happened across my mom during a party... which apparently, according to Taishirō, was suppose to be an announcement of the engagement between my mom and some uncle I never met that was currently married to the old man's youngest daughter.

It wasn't an engagement my mother orchestrated like her sisters. It was a marriage already chosen for her by the old man without her thoughts and feeling considered.

The old crusty bastard was willing to sell his own daughter if it meant he got to merge with other powerful corporations necessary for his campaign to take control of everything.

But all that came crashing down when mom met dad. It sounded like a plot straight out of the cover of some romantic novel, but in the end the security guard accidentally bumped into a troubled elite woman who was about to be forced into a loveless marriage, stepped out together into the night, and spent so much time together that people began to talk which led to the ears of the man who was suppose to marry her and the bastard father who demanded his daughter not see the foreigner anymore in an attempt to salvage the relationship.

But my mother gave the old man a "fuck you" when she walked away hand-in-hand with my father.

And that was how the Gunnarsen patriarch retaliated by burning connections and contract deals with Japan, leaving his daughter and her family to face the wrath of the entire country for going against his wishes.

... God, that sucked balls.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"H-hey."

My eyes fluttered open to reveal a mop of curly green paired with matching eyes looming over my form.

"They're playing kick ball, you wanna join?"

Even after several weeks when my "oblivious" attitude regarding All Might was covered thanks to the helpful brood of children that brought anything related to the buffed superhero—plushies, action figures, coloring books, etc.—their worshiping didn't fade. It was like every corner I turned, he was right there on the television screens, the toy stores, the food marts, and the occasional graffiti-style portraits painted on the urban parts of town! It was insane how much devotion this guy got from the general populace that I was seriously questioning everyone's mentality.

Anyway, after the kids lost interest in teaching me more about their lord and savior, they finally left me alone when the topic of quirks began to dominate the classroom. It was around this time where everyone would start manifesting their quirks. Despite the commotion dying down, there was still one person who continued to pester me with their presence.

You guessed it: Midoriya Izuku.

"I'm good. Thanks." I replied, closing my eyes and allowing myself to relax back into the soft glades that acted as nature's cushion.

Not hearing any sounds of receding footsteps suggesting he left me alone, I wondered what more could the kid possible want from me, but any further wondering was soon answered when the grass next to me shifted noisily. I wanted to make a face, but I thought that would be mean considering not a lot of kids played with Midoriya because they thought he was the weirdest kid in the class. Keeping my eyes closed, I took comfort under the cool shades of the tree I was napping under, pretending I was alone and that Midoriya was just a decoration in the background.

"Did you know our names are kind of the same? The teacher was teaching us more words yesterday, do you remember?"

"Mm." I hummed. The caretakers were helping everyone... except me. I was gonna have to ask my cousin for some help because I wasn't going to stray behind just because the adults were being petty. "That so?"

"My name, Izu _ku_ , can almost sound a lot like _kyū_ which means nine. So because _Ku_ zan also has nine, that makes our names a lot alike! Right?"

Huh, I opened my eyes to stare at the wavering leaves high up on the tree branches. "That's interesting."

" _Mhm_!" the tyke eagerly nodded, elated that someone was agreeing with him rather than acting all condescending as Bakugō was prone to behave now that he started hanging out with the "cool kids". The bald, round kid with the gargoyle wings, the kid who could make his fingers grow long, and some other boy who tagged along with the group.

The story was starting to roll out with me playing spectator to it all.

"Do you have a sleepy quirk, Kuzan? You always like to sleep." Midoriya said, once more looking over towards me. "Is it like how bears hibernate? Do you gather energy by sleeping?"

"It makes the day go by faster." I stare at the sky with the white clouds rolling by.

"... You don't like school, huh? Kacchan doesn't like school either," the boy picks at the blades of grass. "I think it's nice. You get to meet all sorts of people, talk and play with them, and you learn new stuff that could be sometimes cool!"

 _'For you.'_ I closed my eyes.

"Kuzan?"

Sighing heavily, I patted the grass. "Lie down."

"Huh?"

"You're not running back to play that kick ball game. Did they have too many players that you ended up being the odd number?"

A choked noise came from Midoriya's direction.

"Just lie down. Watch the clouds with me."

"... Okay."

And just like that, it became an invitation for Midoriya to start seeking me out practically every day since he and I played a little game of naming the shape of a peculiar cloud that caught our eyes.

He didn't stutter much as he got used to being around me, started to become a bit more excited as we spent some time together, and didn't cry so much when he got upset over something like someone nabbing his All Might before it was returned after the caretakers lectured about the importance of not stealing from each other. It got easier and easier to tolerate him, made time in preschool fly by a little more when we talked about stuff that didn't revolve around how great All Might was.

We talked about our favorite story books (I liked Dr. Seuss' books because of the deeper meaning they had despite their childish appearances), our favorite movies (Ghibli movies were apparently still popular even hundreds of years in the future), and what were our favorite hobbies (nothing of which I could name, to be honest). Midoriya liked to write a lot, make up all sorts of ideas when he found some new Pro Hero he could analyze to add in a blank page of his hero analysis book.

That fact genuinely took me by surprise. I knew he liked to make journals about people with their quirks, but I had no idea that he had been doing something like that since he was four... and possibly before that! It was honestly impressive.

I showed him my Dr. Suess' books, but it was all written in Norwegian, but then Midoriya asked me to teach him the language so he could read it. It was how we really started hanging out, tucked close together as I carefully mouthed out a new word for him to try and repeat. His vowels struggled with the foreign wording but he gradually got better as he practiced some more.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 ** _crack crack crack!_**

I stared at the new sentence I was struggling to translate. Even with the advantage of having an older mind, along with receiving some form of assistance by Taishirō and dad (whenever the older man had time to spare from the heavy amounts of paperwork his department left him to go through), I still was unable to get the whole reading, writing, and understanding of the Japanese language. It was beginning to frustrate the hell out of me when I was stuck with the challenge of figuring out the characters printed on the paper.

 ** _crack crack crack!_**

It was bad enough several of the kids noticed my little floundering and started to poke fun at me, gradually getting the reputation in our classroom as being the slow learner of the bunch. What was more aggravating was the fact that the damn caretakers did absolute squat to help me out with my little problems! Every time I raised my hand, I was ignored, and every time I tried to call out to them verbally, they would scold me for not raising my hand in the first place because it was considered rude to call people without politely signalling you needed help in the first place.

What a bunch of assholes.

 ** _crack crack crack!_**

And now all my concentrating effort was going down the drain because fucking Bakugō wouldn't quit with the mini explosions erupting from his hands, followed by the "oo's" and "aah's" coming from every snot-nosed brat who cared to watch his side show spectacle (which was basically everyone).

"Wow, Katsuki! That's so cool!"

"It's flashy!"

"They look like tiny fireworks!"

"Aww, I wan' a quirk like that!"

"It's so pretty!"

"That's amazing, Kacchan!"

"I'm so jealous!"

All the little munchkins gathered around the smug-looking prat as he held out his two hands, making his flashy quirk pop like those tiny black cat fireworks people would buy on the Fourth of July holiday.

The day had barely started after everyone's parents dropped them off at the front door when Bakugō came frolicking around the room, announcing to everyone within hearing range that he owned the most "badass" quirk ever to exist. And sure enough, from the small whiff I detected from his scent, his quirk manifestation changed the chemicals of his body odor in accommodate his dormant abilities. From Mrs. Bakugō, who smelled like glycerin, and the one time I spotted Mr. Bakugō rubbing his hands together to create sparks of fire, I wasn't surprised to see what sort of quirk their son ended up having.

Combining the mother's glycerin and the father's fire, their son was able to produce explosions from his sweat glands.

And wasn't that just a lovely addition to go with his _charming_ attitude towards the populace in general?

"Hey, Kuzan! You're not looking! Look at this!"

Bakugō shoved his hands up close to my face, setting off the mini explosions. Immediately, I jerked my head away from the sharp cracks of heat and the flashes of light that burned my retinas. I shoved his arms away from my face, using my other arm to shield my sensitive eyesight that began to blur with tears.

"Not cool, dude." I growled as I wiped my eyes and around my cheeks. "Don't go around shoving that stuff in people's faces, you'll end up hurting somebody like that!"

My little warning went ignored because the ash blond brat was too busy staring at my tear tracks and watery eyes

"Why're you crying?" the little jerk started to laugh. "Did I scare you? Look guys! My quirk made Kuzan cry like a baby!"

Instantly, everyone broke out in laughter. Bakugō's little squad of stooges laughed the loudest, acting as if they were sitting in the middle of a John Mulaney comedy show. I brushed away the tears from my eyes so I could give everyone the chilliest death glare I could muster, hoping to scare the crap out of them, but the little shits kept laughing and laughing with no signs of calming down. It only got worse when they started to chant a little taunting song.

"Crybaby, crybaby, crybaby Kuzan~!" the little ones sang. "Crybaby, crybaby, crybaby Kuzan~!"

Like they always did when, the caretakers pretended to be busy in preparing for meal time and thus allowed the taunting session to continue longer than it had to be. I glared at the adults, cursing them with all my might as I wished for food to spill over their heads so everyone could look and laugh at them instead. The kids kept changing, the caretakers ignored the rest of the world, and my frustrations only grew to new heights.

The only person who didn't join the pack of laughing hyenas was Midoriya.

...

"Are you okay, Kuzan?"

"Yeah."

I stared at the paper slip everyone was handed out in the class. It was a permission slip where the parents would sign their signature so that their children would be allowed to attend a picnic gathering in some popular park. My parents didn't have time for little things like this, last I heard their superiors and directors were riding on their asses from work and they both couldn't take time off to spend a day with me in a park. And I wouldn't be mad about it, in fact, I was pretty much okay sticking around the house with Taishirō as he did his homework assignments, but then again he might end up going to that internship thing he talked about over dinner with mom and dad.

I really didn't want to bother asking mom or dad to drop their stuff and come with me to the park because there was no one left in the house to look after me. What a pickle I landed myself in, I thought with a shake of my head.

"Are you going? My mommy's going to come!" Midoriya skipped excitedly. "I wonder if we're going to the park where the All Might statue is."

"I don't know if I'll be going." I said.

"Huh? Why not?!" Midoriya looked at me as if I revealed to him I had been diagnosed with cancer.

"Mom works long hours at the hospital helping sick and hurt people, dad is doing paperwork while patrolling the streets to arrest bad guys and rule breakers, and my cousin is busy with his hero internship for school, so I don't know who's going to take me. But I don't want to bother them with this stuff."

Midoriya pursed his lips.

"... Why don't I ask my mommy if she could look after you?"

Surprised, I glanced towards Midoriya from the paper. "You don't have to do that. I don't wanna be a bother."

"You're not! I promise, you're not!"

"It's really up to your mom. She seems nice, but—"

"Don't worry, I'll ask her!" Midoriya exclaimed, a determined look on his baby fat face.

A few days later, Midoriya and I were sitting next to his mom in a bus packed with children and their parents, the hulking vehicle leading them towards the park. Much to my chagrin, the caretakers cajoled the other children into singing classic nursery rhymes on the way their, putting me through fifteen minutes of pure hell.

Midoriya Inko was a total sweetheart in going out of her way to look after someone else's child, and she smelled nice like a comfortable home that gave me thoughts of shelter and warmth. It was easy to see where Midoriya got some of his good qualities from. Unlike her somewhat timid child, Mrs. Midoriya also gave me vibes that she wasn't someone you could simply walk all over. It was the same kind of feeling I got from Mrs. Bakugō (who wasn't sitting far from the green-haired mother), but with a little more... subtlety.

Beyond happy that someone was lending a helping hand (and that I had a new "friend"), mom went crazy in cooking up a tiny banquet for me, Midoriya and his mother. Mom made my favorite dish of pan friend salmon with sandefjordsmør sauce. It included slices of cooked potatoes, alongside with freshly sliced cucumbers and carrots packed away in plastic containers to munch on after eating the sauce-covered salmon.

"Have fun at the picnic, okay?"

"I will. Thanks mom."

With a loving kiss to the forehead, mom sent me off to stick with Mrs. Midoriya and her son to meet with the rest of the children and adults who were going. Much to my disappointment, I spotted Miki's father (aka the guy who almost picked a fight with my parents at the first day of preschool, right in front of me!) mingling with the other parents. I was thankful the park was a spacious area that it would be easy to avoid being within the same vicinity as the asshole.

Once we arrived to the picnic area, Bakugō was the first to charge out in the open space to go play while the other kids were forced to stick close with their parents. Mrs. Bakugō yelled at her son to return, but the little brat ignored her in favor of parading around with his quirk. Meanwhile, I volunteered to help his mom set up her picnic blanket next to Mrs. Midoriya's, earning myself a playful ruffle of the hair as thanks.

Back to Bakugō, him and his three stooges were babbling about going into the forested area of the park in search of bugs to collect (probably so they could fling them at the girls who were easily creeped out by insects). I wasn't surprised to see Midoriya run after them when they began their little expedition in the tiny forest.

Not bothering to follow that little group, I wandered over to the swing set and settled on an open seat. With a little movement of my body, I was lazily swaying back and forth while collecting some fresh air as my body swung through the air. Summer was my least favorite time of the year, so I was pleased by the fanning of the wind I was creating as I used the swing.

I went undisturbed for a few minutes until someone came around.

"I wanna use the swing! Can I use it?"

Miki was standing next to the scaffold holding the swing sets up, her tiny frame shifting impatiently.

Looking over to find I wasn't the only kid who was occupying a seat, the others ignored her in favor of taking their time. A little disappointed, I didn't put up a fight and slipped off my seat to offer to the smaller girl. I wasn't going to be the ass who used his age as an excuse to get away with being an asshole, and I sure as hell wasn't going to be the jerk who made a little cry either.

Since I was a bit taller than most of the other children in our class, I didn't have as much trouble as she was having when trying to climb on the seat of the swing. I had to grab her by the armpits and heft her up the swing, and I was thankful the kid was lighter than she looked.

"Thanks!" Miki happily kicked her legs, failing to get the swing moving like she wanted it to.

"Do you want me to push you?" I asked politely.

"No, she doesn't."

I found Miki's father standing over me like some creep. He had his arms crossed over his chest and didn't hide the evil eye he was giving me, throwing me a look that said I was nothing but a dirty gum stuck under his perfect dress shoes.

My nostrils picked up the scent of burning wood, but there was no signs of barbecue stands around in the park like there usually was in America, and it seemed to be coming straight from the adult in front of me. My eyes traced the veins beginning to form over the older man's forehead, the way his scowl deepened, and how sharp his eyes were when they were pinned on my smaller frame. Alarm bells were going off in the back of my head.

He looked like he was going to hurt me.

I was suddenly reminded of the incident that happened on my third birthday.

The old man who appeared at the doorstep of my home, all the smiles dying, all the joy and laughter blown away by the cold the old man with the cane brought with him. He didn't lay a hand on me, but that didn't stop him from using his quirk to send nightmarish visions of an ugly world painted red as pain and death repeatedly took me. Many night I spent tossing and turning in bed before finally tearing myself out the dreadful images, screaming at the top of my lungs that the neighbors thought I was being murdered.

I froze, wondering if maybe I should start calling for help—

"Problem?"

Mrs. Midoriya was making her way towards me, her dark green irises watching the man with a sharpness I thought only my mom had. When the green-haired woman finally reached my side, she placed a hand on my head and nudged me until I was standing behind her, putting herself between me and the angry-looking man who was still looming over us like a tower of doom.

"I came over because he was bothering my daughter."

Miki was young, but she was looking between Mrs. Midoriya and her dad like she knew something was wrong. From behind the protective mother, I glared at the man, disgusted at the obvious lie he was trying to spew through that stupid mouth of his. I was minding my own damn business, not picking a fight with anybody here and yet he thought there was no issue in trying to use his daughter as an excuse to scare some other kid. Much to my delight, Mrs. Midoriya wasn't buying any of his lies either.

"It looked like Kuzan here was giving up his seat so your daughter could have a turn on the swings." Mrs. Midoriya bluntly stated, keeping her eyes pinned on the man and daring him to try and lie to her face again so she could make him out to be an idiot. "I'll ask you again: do _you_ have a problem?"

The man then glared balefully at her, and she wasn't cowed by the dark stare he was giving her. I clutched at Mrs. Midoriya's skirt, because as much as I appreciated her coming to my rescue, I didn't want her to get hurt on my behalf. However, my worries were unfounded because Mrs. _Bakugō_ came waltzing towards us like she hadn't meant to come our way.

" _Oi_ , Inko! What're you doing here? I thought you said you wanted to copy my cooking recipe you've been asking me about!" the ash blond woman then _shoved_ the man out of her way to get to Inko and I.

"Hey! What the hell—?!"

The man nearly bit how own tongue off from how fast he clamped his jaws shut when he found himself pinned under the murderous gaze of the ash blond-haired woman. The man looked more like a poor creature that caught the eyes of a predator, only waiting for the beast to pounce and eat him should he give the slightest hint of movement. The air no longer smelled of burning wood but of nauseating toxicity that one smelled from a gas station. I had to cover my little nose because the smell was so strong, I worried for a moment if a single spark of fire could set the area ablaze.

" _Eh_?" the ash blond woman tilted her head, her murder gaze still boring down on the pathetic man. "I couldn't hear that mousy little voice of yours. Did you say something?"

Seeing as he was outnumbered by the two women staring him down into submission, the man gave a pathetic warning to his daughter not to stray from his sight before tucking tail and running back to whatever hole he crawled out of. The women watched him go, both of their backs straight and eyes sharp until the man was far away enough to relax. The toxicity in the air faded into nothing, and I was being led back to our spot between the two mama bears.

"What an ass." Mrs. Bakugō snorted under her breath.

"Mitsuki, not in front of the boy! Please!" Mrs. Midoriya gently admonished her companion. The green-haired woman looked down to me. "Are you okay, Kuzan? That must've been scary! How awful for someone to do that to a child!"

"Just another dumbass sheep in the flock, Inko. They'll believe whatever the media is saying these days. Next thing you'll know, these idiots are gonna grab their pitchforks and torches to try—"

" _Mitsuki_!" Inko snapped sharply, stopping Mitsuki from saying anymore when she seemingly forgot about the third party walking between them.

"Ah," the other woman scratched the bridge of her nose. "Shouldn't you be playing? Go play!"

With a gentle nudge towards a random direction, I was free to go wherever I pleased (so long as it was far away from Miki's asshole father). Before I left, I turned around and faced the two mothers who valiantly came to my defense.

"All women are _queens_."

There was a pregnant pause from the two women who stared at me like I had grown a second head.

And suddenly they broke out in laughter, startling several people nearby.

"Oh God! That was so...!"

"So _cute_ ~!"

"I can't _breathe_!"

I left the laughing pair to themselves, determined to find a nice spot where I wouldn't be bothered for awhile.

...

Midoriya found me.

He looked like he was moments away from breaking out into ugly sobbing.

"I made Kacchan mad."

The little shit Bakugō had fallen into a river by accident, and when Midoriya went down to help him up, all he got for his trouble was a shove which left the other boy drenched in his clothes. The green bean had been concerned because the other boy could've ended up with a concussion from the fall, but Bakugō saw it as a slight and decided to prove what an asshole he was by pushing Midoriya's hand away.

Bakugō left him behind after shouting several mean things, telling him he was a loser because his quirk hadn't manifested like everyone else's had.

"That's rough," was all I could say to the green-haired boy.

Midoriya gave another loud sniffle, trying to hold back the boogers that wanted to droop out of his nose in an effort to prevent the water works from appearing. He was deeply hurt by Bakugō's rejection and unnecessary cruelty, but the prat was starting to enter a phase where he thought he was the coolest shit in his class and therefore was cutting off anything that wasn't cool in his books. Not wanting to see Midoriya cry because dealing with crying children was not my forte, I stood up from my spot on the soft patch of grass and offered the smaller kid a hand to help him up.

"Let's go eat. I bet you're already hungry. My mom put in some treats for you and your mommy; wanna go try some?"

"... okay."

He grabbed my hand and I pulled him to his feet. His sneakers gave a small squelch.

"Don't worry. When we get to the blanket, you take off your shoes and socks and wait for your clothes to dry under the sun." I assured him as I led the way back to our spot where Mrs. Midoriya was. "It's like you never tripped in the creek."

"Okay," the boy nodded, looking a little more less than a sad, wet cat. "Thanks Kuzan."

There was a small bridge that arched over a trail for joggers and cyclists, and it was across where our class was having the picnic. Midodriya and I paused at one end of the wide opening, checking to make sure there was nobody running or zooming by so we wouldn't end up causing an accident that resulted in pain and broken limbs. Just as we were about to across the path, there was the sound of something falling from above and I instinctively stepped away while taking the curly-haired boy with me.

A tangled web of nets landed in front of us.

"Sorry!" Midoriya and I looked up to find a pair of teens leaning over the bridge. They looked and smelled sweaty from whatever work-out they were doing, and spying the matching sweatshirts they were wearing, they were probably athletes.

"Yeah." I replied.

When the two instructed us to move the nets out of the way while they hurried to find some stairs so they could take the net, I hurried to do as instructed because this stuff was in the middle of path.

"... You have a really cool quirk, Kuzan." Midoriya mumbled.

I bowed my head in irritation. It was annoying, but I adamantly kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to be an asshole to him either. The kid was annoying yet he didn't deserve anymore shit from other people, he already got Bakugō and the three stooges for that.

Midoriya grabbed one end of the net, his mood becoming somber and quiet again. I could tell the lacking appearance of his own quirk's manifestation was eating him, leaving him to wonder why his wasn't showing itself like everybody else. I knew it was only going to get so much worse for him when he realized that waiting for his quirk to show up was pointless.

Because the quirk he was wishing for was never there to begin with.

"Hey Kuzan?"

"Yes?"

"Am I useless?"

If only I had the quirk to be swallowed up by the earth so I could avoid having this conversation.

I didn't want to become the emotional crutch he leaned on when life came and delivered him the bad news. I knew that in the end, he'd grow up to become the person All Might chose, backing him every step of the way while he made friends and became stronger, gradually creating a path to become the hero he always wanted to be. But the road to that point was long, and I wasn't sure if I could help keep him afloat when Midoriya felt like sinking to the bottom. The whole situation sounded heavy and painful, and I was already going to have enough problems of my own, so why would I stick around and be burdened with his?

Fortunately, I didn't get a chance to answer him.

" _HEY_!"

"He's getting away!"

Midoriya and I startled in shock at the sudden commotion, our head simultaneously looking for the source of the commotion. Rushing towards us were three people, all of them running in a frantic manner.

Or rather, one guy who looked like he was covered in honey, purses and wallets stuck to his person, was escaping the cops with the help of his... roller blades? The thief the cops were chasing began to tuck himself when he started gaining momentum of speed thanks to the downhill slope the land provided. The criminal was heading towards and we needed to get the hell out of the way!

I was beginning to reach for Midoriya when he freckled boy shook of my arm.

"G-grab the net!" the boy stuttered.

"Forget the net!" I snapped at him.

"Grab the net, Kuzan!" Midoriya insisted, raising his own end.

Quickly catching on to what he had planned, I pulled my end of the net and ran to the other side of the path. The roller blading criminal was too busy eyeing the cops over his shoulder to take notice of us and the netted barricade Midoriya and I created.

" _PULL_!"

He and I yanked the net as hard as we could, leaning backwards when a heavy body crashed into the stringed trap. The criminal twisted around the net, his feet caught in the tangled mess as he fell harshly into the ground. And just like that, it was over and the criminal was quickly apprehended by the two policemen who dog piled the honey-covered man.

I stared in awe as they slapped special cuffs on his wrists, the criminal wincing and loudly complaining how tight the cuffs were, but that was probably because they didn't want him slipping through it so easily. Even as an adult from my previous lifetime, I would have still scrambled out of the way because I wasn't for sticking my nose in for the cops wanting to arrest a possibly dangerous individual on the run. On the other side of he arch, Midoriya looked just as shocked as I felt.

"Izuku! Kuzan!"

The commotion caught a lot of people's attention, most especially Midoriya's mother. She quickly ran towards us, her arms gathering her only son and myself to hold protectively in her arms.

"What were you boys thinking?!" Mrs. Midoriya admonished us, her complexion pale and her eyes wide with worry. "You could've been hurt!"

"Thankfully it didn't come to that," one police officer approached us while his partner used a phone to call for back up while keeping a firm hold on the criminal. "As thankful as I am, you ought to listen to your mom, kids. Don't go doing something crazy like that again, okay?"

We nodded our heads submissively, the both of us still too shocked to speak.

Mrs. Midoriya led us away from the scene and back towards the picnic area where we found multiple eyes following us.

"Did you see that?"

"Izuku and Kuzan took down that bad guy!"

"They took down that criminal."

"That's crazy!"

"That was so cool...!"

"That's so brave! They're like superheroes!"

More and more praises came flowing out as we passed by, their faces of disbelief no longer holding taunting faces but genuine awe of the fact that two boys in their class helped capture a nameless criminal. To them, it was like Midoriya and I were heroes who took on a boss villain.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the boy next to me turn beet red, his eyes shining as a crooked smile replaced his frown. Our interrupted conversation from earlier came swimming back, and seeing as how there was this look of triumph growing in him, I leaned in close and asked,

"Do you feel useless now, Izuku?"

For a brief moment, my eyes almost winced at how brightly his eyes burned when they met my own. More brighter than that of Bakugō's explosions. It took some hours later to realize that I called him by his first name


	5. Prelude: What I Am

**A/N:** Wow oh wow! I posted the fourth chapter and it blew up with plenty of lovely reviews. I thank you so much of the nice comments thrown here and there, it really got me motivated to get the next chapter written up and posted because I want to hear more. And a reply to some of my reviewers:

 ** _Okami Princess_ ,** sorry but in this AU, the story is going to take a very drastic turn than what you've seen in the original from both the anime and manga. You'll see what I'm talking about in future chapters (spoiler alert: bring tissues, I'm not joking).

 ** _HPfan7-8_ ,** yeah, his quirk he inherited from his mother (and majority of the Gunnarsens) have heightened senses (check out the TV trope Sentinel/Guide thing, it'll explain the powers better). If you read the chapters again, you can find that Kuzan's mother uses it in her job to help patients in the hospital and that the Gunnarsen family use it in their business ventures to tell if people are giving them a bad deal or at least intimidate them into submission. There will be more to explained about the Gunnarsen quirk power, but later on! Promise!

 ** _Prince_ ,** buddy you're gonna regret putting up that hashtag.

Beautiful comments from equally beautiful people, my world gets a little brighter despite the thunderstorm rolling through the sky outside my window. Here's another chapter for you lovely readers who want to read more about the slice-of-life-ish adventures of Kuzan and Izuku! Like always, remember to leave a review and be welcome to favorite this story to your growing collection of well-liked stories!

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

 **WARNING :** In this chapter, there's a heavy topic about **self-harm** , so please read with caution!

* * *

 **.**

 **Prelude: Part II**

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* * *

For the next few days, Izuku and I were treated like the most popular kids in school. Everyone would always come up to us, offering praises while asking questions here and there if we had been scared, if we had it planned out in case for real life emergency, and so on. Izuku flushed red with embarrassment from all the attention, but his eyes gleamed with pride at having helped stop someone from escaping the cops. We got lectured for putting ourselves in danger, but that didn't hinder the sense of strength we felt blooming inside us, the awe rippling across everyone around us when they saw act.

It was startling to discover just how deep Izuku's dedication was in becoming the kind of person who wanted to help people, never mind that he was only four-years-old. Even as someone who had years of experience to surpass the green-haired boy, Izuku didn't hesitate to step in to stop the culprit whereas I was more than willing to step aside. It was one thing to watch from afar and feel detached, it quite humbling to involved in the effort to subdue a criminal.

It was nothing like rescuing a damsel in distress or getting into a nasty brawl with a violent individual, but it did get some pick-pocketing thief who had been making off with stolen credit cards off the streets. That alone was more than enough to earn a lot of respect.

Standing outside the cluster of babbling children who swarmed around mine and Izuku's share table space, Bakugō glowered at us like he was a ruffled Pomeranian dog moments away from angrily yipping at us.

He was pretty angry about what happened at the park. I could hear him muttering under his breath how he would have sorted out the problem had he been there with us. In his sulking mood, he became easily agitated over the smallest things like someone accidentally crossing the boundary of his desk space, telling off his followers when they said something he believed was warrant enough to garner his wrath, and he was deeply offended when a simple assignment ended up acquiring extra help from a caretaker. The little prat acted as though people were purposely out to put him down and humiliate him because he did nothing to prove that he was awesome as he claimed to be. It didn't matter that he was one of the first kids in our year to get a flashy quirk because what did powers mean if there wasn't any way to prove you could be a hero?

In his mind, it was inconceivable that "Deku", who's quirk hadn't even manifested, had gone and taken down a criminal before Bakugō did.

There was tension building up in the air between us and the ash blond boy. The fuse was gradually sizzling down to nothing, and I could hear the ticker counting down as the fuse reached the TNT box. Whatever happened, it was going to be something bad.

Unfortunately, my prediction came true.

Izuku and his mother noticed the lack of manifestation when it had been a few weeks past the young boy's birthday. Something should have happened by now... yet there was nothing. One of Bakugō's friends had a grandparent who was a quirkologist, so when information had been exchanged between the parents, Izuku informed me that him and his mother would be visiting the doctor to see what was wrong.

All I could do was silently nod along, unable to say something to the bright-eyed boy who skipped after his mother in excitement.

...

"Hey," began the first whispers. "Did you hear?"

The next morning when he arrived to school, he was pale and quiet as a ghost. From the entrance of the door, his mother was talking to the caretaker while constantly checking on her son who wandered away from her side in what seemed like a daze. He appeared as though he was dreaming, going through a surreal experience that he wasn't sure if this was his reality.

He sat himself down on the carpeted floor where we were all gathered. When I looked directly at his face, I almost recoiled at what I saw staring back at me.

"Deku doesn't have a quirk."

"What? _Really_?"

His face was frozen. It was like the face of someone smiling in the middle of a photo shoot but their face got stuck that way, and I could see the strain of his forced smile as his eyes looked dead ahead of him. That wasn't the worst, though...

"Yeah. It's called being _quirkless_."

"That's so lame!"

"Too bad."

"He was always weird."

That brightness that burned in his eyes, that passion he felt when he confessed to me how proud he felt on that day as he mustered the strength to get his legs moving in the effort to stop the criminal who was fleeing from the cops— _gone_.

With the light of his eyes turned into charred coal, his passion and valor evaporating into thin air, and his dreams of heroics snuffed out the moment the doctor diagnosed him "quirkless", Izuku's world was sucked into a black hole.

With the light in his eyes turning to charred coal, his passion and valor gone cold, and his dreams of heroics snuffed out when the doctor diagnosed him "quirkless", Izuku's words was sucked into a black hole. All of it torn apart within the darkness and then smited out of existence.

One kid who had been near the door heard everything, and instead of giving the poor boy his privacy, the little moron told everyone else. By now, all the kids were looking at the freckled boy like was a broken _thing_. It was as if he was no longer a person because of his quirkless status, because suddenly there was something wrong with this child in particular. They looked at him the way people did when they looked at disabled people: a liability. Another burden to their society, another poor soul who got the short end of a stick.

And the caretakers once again showed their favor towards the little children whom they deemed worthy of their attention and praise while casting little thought or care to the abnormal and shameful child that was a stain to their "just" society.

It was sickening.

The whole time, I knew it was coming. I literally saw it coming many years ago when I watched it on the flat screen of my television with my dorm mate!

And yet it did nothing to prepare me for when I was actually facing it. My chest suddenly felt tight and my hands curled up in fists as I witnessed everything unfold, the volume of the chatter rising as more kids continued to talk about Izuku like he wasn't in the room listening to their words. And Izuku couldn't bring himself to speak, shocked and lost in the revelation to defend himself.

Bakugō watched the whole thing transpire with a growing smile on his face. It was like all was set right in the world again, that Izuku would never threaten his place on the top pyramid, and there was no one more amazing than Bakugō Katsuki.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

It was the first time I was going to spend my birthday alone without my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandma to celebrate with me. Now that I was living in another country, I had to settle with telecommunications from the tablets we owned. Mom used the tablet to talk with grandma as she moved around the kitchen, following instructions as she made the bløtkake, a favorite of mine since my second birthday that grandma made especially for me.

I eyed the sliced up strawberries and bits of blueberries piled up in some dish, wanting to pluck a few but mom intercepted me and shooed me away with her wooden spoon, knowing full well how I liked to stick my hand in there and steal some. It was unfortunate that my cousins were no longer with me because they were always up for distracting her and the other adults working the kitchen long enough that I could take a few with me.

Now that mom was pulling the Eye of Sauron on me, I couldn't step inside the kitchen without feeling eyes on the top of my fluffed up head.

Unable to stand the sweet aroma of various dishes being spread out across the house no matter where I went, I grabbed the tablet from mom and proceeded to excuse myself outside. Grandma and the adults had given me their best well wishes and promised to send presents in the next two weeks my way, and this left me to chat with the girls who were all too eager to share stories with me.

The weather was cold, but I wasn't the least bit bothered by it. Growing up north, I was used to the drop of temperature. I remembered a time when mom used to leave me out in the cold even as a baby; that used to freak me and dad out at first, but seeing other strollers full of children parked outside restaurants, parks, and other public areas, we discovered it was a common thing in the Nordic country's culture.

It also helped natives build a tolerance of the cold.

"How is it over there?" Sigrid asked.

"Are you feeling homesick?" Ingrid cuts in before I could answer the first question.

"Did you visit a Ramen Shop, yet?"

"Is the chocolate better?"

"Shut up." I griped at them, already feeling annoyed by their incessant blabbering. One thing I didn't miss about them.

Making my way to the playground at the center of the small neighborhood area my family lived in, I wandered towards the dome climber, the metal steel biting cold to the touch but I didn't let it bother me as I carefully made my way to the top. Once I was settled on the high point, I pulled the tablet from it's safe place in my sweater and was once more face-to-face with my cousins.

"Look."

I flipped the tablet to show them the area.

The playground was kind of a dull place because I had little interest in doing meaningless things like running around and climbing around like some little animal, but near dark time when it was at its quietest, it was kind of nice. The distant city lights that gave a glitter in various colors, the way the sun left a trail of red and orange pastels in the sky, it held a sort of beauty I couldn't help but admire.

So pretty that I wanted to show my cousins.

"Oh, wow~" I heard Ida take in the scene. "It's so beautiful, Kuzan!"

"It's alright." Jorunn said, but I could tell she was just as awed as the other girls.

"Not as pretty as the auroras!" Ingrid chimed in.

"But it _is_ pretty." Ingunn pointed out.

Gaining their grudging approval, I switched the tablet back so it was facing me again. We talked as the sky grew darker by the minute, the street lights buzzing to life and the neighborhood gradually becoming illuminated by the windows coming from the houses and apartments surrounding the park. It was still suffocating at times to live in a crowded place, and nothing was truly perfect, but I was doing a little better than I originally thought.

"Hey, crybaby!" I stiffened at the taunting voice that came from behind me.

Bakugō and his little band of idiots waltzed into the yard like they owned it, all four boys dressed in heavier clothes than I was wearing. They were the last faces I wanted to see right now, but life once more wanted to take the steering wheel and swerve it off the nearest cliff. I groaned under my breath, beginning to feel a sharp migraine forming in the confines of my skull.

"Kuzan? Who was that? What's going on?" Ingrid was trying to look around my shoulder after hearing Bakugō's obnoxious voice, but I was holding the tablet out of view of the brat so she really couldn't see anything beyond my face.

"Nothing. Ignore it."

"Who the hell you talking to?" Bakugō demanded, like it was his right to butt in everyone's business just because he could.

I ignored him and switched from Japanese to Norwegian. "Anyway, I'll talk to you guys later."

"Okay," Jorunn nodded, grabbing the tablet from Ingrid's hands. The view wobbled a bit but it quickly straightened so the camera was focused on the older girl's face. "Call us when you get the presents, okay?"

"Sure."

"Love you~!" all the girls cried when they crowded around Jorunn.

Before I could press the end call button, the tablet was plucked out of my unsuspecting hands. Jerking in surprise, I nearly fell off my high perch and watched as the item was held in the long fingers of the boy that trailed after Bakugō, Hisao I think. The scrawny boy cackled as he held my tablet hostage, twisting the thing until he was facing my cousins who were bewildered and left wondering what the heck was going on.

"Gimme that!" Bakugō snatched the tablet from Hisao, and the two other boys behind him closed in to peek what was on the screen.

"Give that back!" I snapped at the group, immediately climbing down to retrieve dad's tablet.

"Who are you?" I heard Ingunn inquire.

"Check out their eyes, Kacchan!" the round kid with the wings—was it Madoka or Hiryū?—pointed at the screen with his sausage finger. "They're like Kuzan's!"

"I can see that, you dummy!" Bakugō snapped at him then turned his eyes on the screen.

"Oh, you guys know our cousin Kuzan?"

Shit, I thought as I hurried down the dome. I could already imagine how this conversation would play itself out, ending with both parties screaming each other hoarse from the insults thrown back and forth. I swore under my breath that if Bakugō started to say nasty shit to my girls, who were practically like my older sisters, I was going to throw hands with a four-year-old.

"Yeah, we go to the same preschool." Bakugō confirmed to the girls.

"Oh, that's so sweet! I'm Jorunn; this is my younger sister Ida."

"Hi!"

"I'm Ingunn."

"And these are—"

"Sigrid!" "Ingrid!" the twins chirped at the same time, almost canceling each other out from the volume of their voices.

"I'm Bakugō Katsuki!" the ash blond-haired boy introduced himself with a wide grin, causing me to freeze mid-step.

Bakugō and the three stooges crowded around the tablet, chatting back and forth between the girls without a care in the world like they hadn't moments ago tried to pick a fight with me. I couldn't stop staring in total disbelief, feeling at first outraged by the invasion of privacy that I thought I was going to end up getting into a brawl with the brats, but then found myself cast aside because they were more interested in talking to each other.

Surprisingly, Bakugō was genuinely excited about meeting new faces, but I supposed any kid would be thrilled about trying new things. I shook my head, feeling the fight drain out of me while I sat down on some wooden planks sticking out of the ground near the see-saws.

"Kuzan?"

My eyes rolled open to find Izuku standing there where he was still holding the sad kicked puppy look. Noticing that I wasn't alone in the park, he spotted Bakugō and his goons chattering on the tablet.

"Hey, Izuku." I greeted him.

"W-what's going on?" he asked, his voice slightly muffled by the scarf he had wrapped around his neck and lower mouth. He was also dressed heavily in winter clothes. "What's Kacchan doing?"

"Breaking the first seal of hell." I muttered under my breath.

"Huh?"

"Trying to marry my cousins." I said, loud enough that even the other boys heard me.

" _WHAT_?!"

While the girls laughed it off, the boys were totally grossed out from the implications. Bakugō held out the tablet away from his face like it was going to produce lips and start giving him smooches. Quickly, I plucked the tablet from his gloved hands, thus gaining back the stolen item. My cousins were red from laughing so much that I could hear one of my uncles complaining in the background to keep the noise down (it was apparently FIFA season).

"Izuku, c'mere. I want you to meet the girls," I gestured the freckled boy closer as I turned to the screen. "Girls, this is Midoriya Izuku."

And for the next half hour, my cousins exchanged pleasantries with Izuku. Bakugō stuck around, but his friends decided to take off. Tsukuyo, the kid with the dark hair, raised his hands which started to glow like moonbeams to help illuminate the path as the street lamps weren't all that bright. With that, Tsukuyo headed homeward with the two other boys following after him, not wanting to get a lecture from their parents for staying out too late despite it being seven in the afternoon (but hey, daylight hours got shorter during winter).

"Hey crybaby! Your tablet is about to die!"

" _Crybaby_? Our Kuzan? No way!" Ingunn chortled.

Bakugō opened his mouth, prepared to exaggerate the story of how I got stuck with such a stupid nickname, but I clapped a hand over his big mouth and took back my tablet which he had swiped from me earlier when Sigrid and Ingrid asked him what sort of chocolates he recommended they should get should they ever come to Japan (which was highly unlikely given the conflict currently happening across the country).

"Okay, I really have to go now. I'll talk to you guys later." I said.

"Bring Izuku and Katsuki next time! I wanna talk to them again!" Ingrid ordered, giving me a stern look. "Okay?"

"I will make no such promises." I frowned at her, but yelped when I felt something hot popped near my hand. "You could've blown my hand off, you jerk!"

"Then don't stick you stupid ass hands in my face, crybaby!" Bakugō growled.

"Happy birthday, Kuzan!" Jorunn said over mine and Bakugō's angry tennis match. "Talk to you later! You too, boys!"

" _BYE_ ~!"

And the connection ended.

"It's your birthday?" Izuku cried, eyes wide like saucers. "Why didn't you say anything?!"

I shrugged. It wasn't _that_ big of a deal, was it?

"How old are you?" Bakugō spoke, suspiciously curious.

"I'm four." I answered.

Both boys stared at me.

"Huh? You just turned _four_? You really are a baby!" the little asshole laughed, condescending as ever. Why was I not surprised? "This means you have to respect me since I'm your elder!"

"Keep dreaming." I scoffed.

"I thought you were older than us, too." Izuku quietly admitted, looking embarrassed.

"Because I'm taller than you?" I raised a hand to their heads, stopping at where my bottom lip was. "I lot of people thought so, too. Dad said he and our cousin Taishirō came from a family where the quirk genes made them big and strong. After some generations though, they started to fade because the U.N. banned quirk marriages because it's viewed non consensual."

"Quirk marriages?" both Izuku and Bakugō parroted in confusion.

"Ask your parents about it, they'll probably tell you. But basically, it forced people to get married to each other because of their quirks. My grandparents from dad's side were the last people to do that, and my dad hadn't talked to them in _years_."

Among other reasons, I silently added. What little bits of conversation I learned from dad and Taishirō's history, it hadn't been all that great. Our cousin was mostly lucky, if you considered your parents tolerating each other long enough to let their kid have a somewhat decent childhood lucky enough, but the rest were up for debate. Dad spent most of his childhood listening and witnessing his parents argue, and how he was always running away from the house to hide in a friend's when he heard his mother throwing furniture around the house in a fit of rage. I was too afraid to learn what sort of man his father was. Once he was old enough, he joined the military and worked his ass off to find a new place to live so he could never go back to that house of horrors.

And he didn't regret it, taking comfort form the handful of people who actually gave a shit about him.

"So, uh, does that mean when you get older, you'll get big and strong?" Izuku asked.

"I think." I looked down at myself. "Like I said, the mutant gene is kind of getting a bit weak, so maybe I'll be a bit taller, but not like Taishirō."

"Whatever! You're still a big baby, anyway!"

Trust the little shit to ruin the moment. Why couldn't he just behave like he did with my cousins? God, that was probably how he lured people into a false sense of security, charm the pants off the victim first then scare the crap out of them the next.

"Kuzan!" I perked up at the sound of dad's voice carrying through the neighborhood. " _KUZAN_ ~!"

"Dad's calling me." I inform the others.

"Well? Go on!" Bakugō sneered at me. "Or maybe you're waiting for us to go with you because you're too chicken to go home by yourself!"

"Kacchan...!"

"Shut up, Deku!"

He... wasn't entirely wrong. It kind of was creepy to walk in the dark, but I wasn't going to admit shit to that smug-looking little turd. With one glare, I sharply turned away and proceeded to head back home before dad decided to hunt me down himself. Only getting a couple steps off the playground area, a pair of footsteps rushed after me.

"Wait up, Kuzan!" Izuku cried, voice anxious. "The teacher says never to walk by yourself in the dark. Somebody could snatch you up and steal you away from your mommy and daddy!"

"Stupid Deku! If anyone tried to grab me, I'd blow their faces up with my quirk! But you'll be the one who'll get snatched up and cut into tiny bits, Deku!"

" _Kacchan_!" Izuku gasped, paling at the gruesome thought.

"Be quiet!" I snapped at the two, hurrying my footsteps to get to my house faster. "Besides, where was your stranger danger thing when you two decided to come out when it was getting dark?"

Both mouths clacked shut at that, probably realizing the stupidity of coming out after dark while they were preaching to the dangers of being alone, but then Bakugō opens his mouth again.

"I wasn't by myself, dumbass! Hisao, Hiryū, and Tsukuyo were with me!"

"And they left you behind."

Any other angry retort was halted when dad spotted us and waved his arm. He eyed the two boys that followed me, a dark brow slowly raising to his hairline when we stopped in front of him.

"Hello," he greeted Izuku and Bakugō with a kind smile. "You go to preschool with Kuzan, right?"

"Yes, sir." Izuku shyly nodded, slowly shifting to hide behind me. "I'm Midoirya Izuku, sir."

"Bakugō Katsuki. They were too scared to walk alone at night, so I made sure to bring them home."

 _'That lying little...!'_

"That's awfully kind of you!" dad cheerfully praised, patting Bakugō's dumb spiky hair. "Kuzan tell you it's his birthday?"

And that was how dad invited Izuku and Bakugō into the house, allowing the boys to call their parents to explain they were at a friend's house to celebrate over a birthday dinner. Mr. Bakugō promised to pick his son up later to take him home, Mrs. Midoriya was elated her son wasn't by himself during the heartbreaking discovery of his quirklessness, but she would also come by to acquire her child.

It was a bit jarring to find myself hanging around Bakugō after all the effort I went through to avoid being around the obnoxious shit, but life continued to throw him my direction without warning. The kid scarfed down the food mom served him, loving the Norwegian dishes he was stuffing his face with. Izuku would ask what they were, ever polite and curious, as he ate the servings off his own plate.

After their stomachs declared no more, Izuku and Bakugō settled down in the living room area where I got to working on the puzzle set mom bought. To my horror, it was an All Might based puzzle set.

And like bees to honey, the other boys were on it.

Mom and dad knew I held little interest for toys, so books and puzzle sets were the safest gifts to offer me since I always seemed to keep my nose buried in a book and I always put my focus on trying to complete a puzzle within a few short days. My parents used to be apprehensive of me touching puzzles because they thought of me as the typical toddler who would stick something in his mouth and choke on it, but after seeing me help my older cousins and uncle Nils with their puzzle sets, they gave the activity a green light.

They used to give me simple sets until they saw how much quickly I pieced them together. Gradually the puzzles got harder and harder to the point they allowed me to work on thousand piece puzzle sets. Mom sometimes got into a competitive mood when she saw how good I was at it, wanting to try it out herself so she could beat me. Dad just snorted in the background and took pictures, sending them to my aunts so they could make fun of mom for trying to show up a toddler!

The All Might puzzle thankfully kept Bakugō busy enough to keep his trap shut, so eager to help finish the entire picture that he barely paid anyone mind. Izuku was also concentrating on the puzzle pieces, careful and observant with each little cardboard that had a certain shape and shade of color that needed to match with the small patch of pieces he managed to connect perfectly.

All three of us worked diligently on the All Might puzzle that we barely heard the door knocking. Dad made his way over to the coffee table we were occupying, gently tapping our heads to signal that fun time was over.

"Sorry boys. Katsuki and Izuku have to head on home now," dad announced.

Mom held out a plastic plate wrapped in tin foil that was stuffed with food for the Bakugō's to enjoy. Mr. Bakugō was reluctant to take the food from mom, thinking he might be overstepping, but his boy was demanding it so the older man left with a plate full of Norwegian dishes. Mrs. Midoriya was given the same treatment, surprised at first but happy at how excited her son was to take something new home.

Bakugō whirled around to face me as he pulled on his coat, his red eyes sharp and narrowed as he pointed a finger at me that I had to cross my eyes to stare at the tip of the digit.

"I'll come back to finish that puzzle! Got it?"

It wasn't a question, it was a declaration that said he would return to my home to finish what we started on. Izuku fidgeted where he stood, looking like a baby who was doing the pee pee dance because he hadn't learned yet how to use the bathroom by himself. His mom and my parents noticed and they exchanged knowing smiles over our heads.

"Izuku? Would you like to come over to help finish the puzzle with Kuzan?"

His freckled face got all red like a tomato, and then his eyes turned towards me.

"Just come over after school, dude." I muttered to him.

"O-okay!" he squeaked.

We watched them go, disappearing into the night in their own directions towards wherever home was. I could still hear Izuku chatting with his mom while his words went a mile a minute, almost combining words because he was so excited and yet his mom was able to understand him. Bakugō meanwhile was telling his dad his version of why he stayed behind to keep us company because as Izuku and I were being babies about being alone in the dark.

"Those friends of yours are real sweet, Kuzan." mom remarked, ruffling my head. "You should bring them over more often."

I give her a dry look. "Bakugō is the Devil, mom."

" _Kuzan_!"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Time carried on; days, weeks, months, and years came and went, leaving behind small bits of changes it usually provided.

My two years going to the preschool finally came to an end, and I was glad to finally leave behind the caretakers and the stupid blue uniform and hat we were forced to wear. At least in elementary, we got to wear our own clothes until middle school forced us to wear those uniforms.

Another drastic change was that majority of the kids I knew were leaving to other different schools, leaving only a handful of us to attend the same elementary school.

Familiar faces which included Izuku, Bakugō and his little dumb gang.

It was two years full of drama, spats, surprises, and mystery.

There was so much drama in where my family and I were confronted with people angry over the Gunnarsen-Japan fall-out.

The confrontations made me feel angry and disgusted, so much that I almost kicked some woman in the shin when she yelled after my mom who was in the middle of helping some patient that needed her attention. Dad had to get between the woman who looked ready to attack mom, security escorting the crazy lady out. The surprise visit to mom's hospital turned sour, everyone upset and badly shaken. It was a sheep mentality thing, the citizens who had seen the reaction of the spurned businessmen and politicians that needed the Gunnarsen resources to provide for their heroes followed their lead which was to do their best in making my family's lives worse than it needed to be.

Spats between Bakugō and me were a constant.

Because I had the advantage of being mentally older than the explosive brat, I always said something witty which set the ash blond-haired boy off. I shouldn't encourage him, but I got real tired of him picking on Izuku that I found myself confronting Bakugō and turning the spotlight on him and his little goons. By the end of each session, he was red in the face from screaming and his hands were flickering with tiny bursts of fiery explosions. And because of it, Bakugō sometimes would forget he was picking on Izuku and focus his fury on me, giving the green-haired boy some semblance of peace that I was able to provide him with.

The surprise was how, despite some grief life threw at me and my family, things were turning out alright.

Taishirō was starting to make a name for himself as an up and coming hero that was months away from graduating U.A. and earning a Pro Hero license. Dad sometimes got to work with Fat Gum when the police department and the internship that our cousin worked with had to put their heads together to work on a case. Another astonishing bit of news was when mom got to meet All Might at the hospital; the guy liked to visit the children's ward of the hospital, making little children crack a smile to overlook the reasons why they were put there to begin with. Hearing the news from mom, Izuku went crazy and started gushing about how cool and nice his number one hero was while Bakugō and I rolled our eyes in the background.

And life continued to be a mystery to me because no matter how many times I tried to pull myself away from it all, tried to ignore the way Izuku cowered in the presence of others that demeaned him for his "disability", or when I tried to tune out Bakugō's angry outcries that screamed for my attention, I end up getting drawn into their lives anyway. I always distract the people from Izuku, I always stand firm before Bakugō, I always find myself unable to walk away from them, and that was why it was so mysterious.

Life was strange.

...

"Stupid Deku! Shut your trap! I can't concentrate with you mumbling like that!"

"S-sorry Kacchan!"

Class assignments wasn't hard thanks to my experience, but it was when these two guys were around. I sighed heavily, trying and failing to ignore their (one-sided) squabbling as I concentrated on finishing the work while the teacher stepped outside. I could obviously tell straight away that she and the faculty got all stony when they found out who I was, and their treatment of me was different than that of the caretakers back in preschool.

They treated me like I didn't exist. When I had trouble with some of the kanji (it still gave me trouble some days) they didn't offer any help, when everyone was taking turns reading from a paragraph they skipped over me, when I wanted to use the bathroom they pretended they didn't even see my raised hand or hear my request. I was invisible to them.

And it was an issue Izuku and Bakugō were beginning to take notice of. Back then, the preschool caretakers were subtle about it, but these teachers weren't bothering to hide their intense dislike of me. The kids were starting become perceptive of the cold shoulders the adults were giving me, sometimes asking me what I did to make them upset.

Fucking petty assholes.

The class quieted when the teacher stepped back in. I scratched my head, putting my pencil down to rub my face because I felt emotionally drained. Trying to keep a cool composure was a strain, and I started having trouble sleeping because of it.

Our papers were collected and I closed my eyes, tuning out the teacher's voice as I attempted to catch some "Z's" while sitting up.

The day was barely halfway and yet I already wished it was over with. I used to have a love/hate relationship with school growing up in my old life, but now in this new life of mine, I hated it. Trouble liked to follow me everywhere I went, exposing me to more and more people who wanted a piece of me and my parents for the problem that started because of the old man.

God, I hoped someone was making the old bastard miserable. I doubted it though, the old man was rich as hell, so I could easily picture him sitting leisurely in some expensive leather couch while drinking some whiskey tumbler.

My jaw tightened, molar teeth grinding angrily as I snarled at the image behind my eyelids.

 ** _plop!_**

I flinched as something soft hit the side of my head. My eyes snapped open just in time to see a white crumpled ball of paper land on the floor. There was a faint snicker coming from the left side of the room, and I immediately set my sharp eyes upon the source of noise to find some pink-faced blubber who looked like they were going to burst if someone poked them with the sharp end of a pencil. Their body jiggled as they quietly snickered behind their glob-like hand, two sapphire dot eyes glimmering with glee.

The teacher hadn't noticed at all, too busy writing on the board over a simple math equation.

The sound of paper being crumpled caught my ears, and I looked back at the pink blob child to find them taking aim at my head again. I glared at them, shaking my head to emphasize that I wasn't in the gaming mood, but they ignored me and threw the crumpled paperball anyway. I watched the thing sail in the air, ducking down in time to let it miss me.

"Sensei! Sensei! Someone's throwing paperballs!"

All eyes found a girl with tentacle hair pulled in pigtails pointing at where the paperballs were—surrounding my desk. A shadow loomed over my desk and I peeked up to find the teacher glowering at me, her hands on her hips while she stared down at me with pupil slit cat eyes.

"Outside."

I stared at her in disbelief. For a moment, I forgot how my mouth functioned because my brain was too busy short circuiting, trying to process the screwed up data it was forced to listen to, and then trying to reboot itself back online.

"I didn't do thi—"

"I don't tolerate troublemakers who disrupt my class. _Outside_!"

I knew a losing battle when I saw one, and anything I tried to say or do wouldn't dissuade the woman's mind once it's been made up. She didn't care about who the true perpetrator was, more inclined to simply brand me as the troublesome one because it made it easier to rid me from her class. I could sense the other kids watching, but most especially, I could hear the cogs beginning to turn in their heads as they observed what was going on. Back to the woman I was facing, she looked at me like I was a disruptive pothole on her road.

With one nasty glare aimed at the teacher, along with the blob kid who started this mess, I slipped out of my desk and headed for the door while feeling multiple eyes on the back of my neck as I exited. As I was closing the door, I saw Izuku staring after me with pained uncertainty and confusions, like it was physically painful for him not understand what was going on. Without another word, I just shut the door and pressed my back against the wall next to the entrance.

This wasn't his problem, anyway. He had his own tough time ahead of him still, so it was better he didn't get embroiled in what I was dealing with.

Much to my grief, this did not end up being an isolated incident. The following days after started a series of unfortunate events which then began to snowball out of control as time went on.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

I remembered a story I read in class when I had been in the fourth grade in my old life: there was a prince who was a total brat, but because he was of royal status, nobody could give him some old fashioned physical disciplining, so they brought in a peasant boy to become a punching bag for whenever the prince did something worth being whipped for.

I was ten-years-old when I first read it, and all I could think about was how fucked up that was. It boggled my mind, reading how the whipping boy continued to regard the asshole prince as a friend when said prince was the one who was causing his daily beatings by the servants! The book revolted me. Not caring that I didn't finish the rest of the garbage written in Times New Roman font, I clammed the book cover shut and stuck it back in the library where it belonged.

Now, many years and a new life cycle later, the book of The Whipping Boy came rushing back to me.

The kids in class started to take notice how the teacher treated me, their watchful eyes taken in every action and reaction that surrounded my person, and that's when trouble started to trickle in little by little.

The theory was tested when the pink blob who threw paperballs before repeated his performance.

I got sent outside to the hall again.

A boy with a quirk that enabled him to mimic the movements of anyone he saw copied me whenever we did classwork assignments. When the teacher confronted how similar our answers were, the mimic boy accused me of copying the answers off of him. The teacher glanced at my eyes and I knew the judge made her decision.

I was sent to detention.

When the kids were allowed outside to play games, sometimes there would be a clash because playground tools weren't shared and several quirks were being used. The teachers would come out to settle everything, and knowing they would face punishment, the children immediately passed the blame on the one person who had been far away from it all: _me_.

I was sent to the office.

All the kids were having a blast, avoiding punishment while I was left to face the consequences of their actions by being thrown under the bus on a daily basis. Izuku tried on multiple occasions to set things straight, to tell them that I wasn't the one who threw paperballs, who wasn't copying from another student, who wasn't going around picking fights in the playground, that I was innocent of all crimes and the others kids were being bullies by dishing out the blame on me. Not to my surprise, he was ignored (and bullied himself for opening his mouth, not that the teachers cared in the first place).

My life that was somewhat calm and serene slowly turned into a giant oven with a surface that grew gradually hot as time went on. The heat started to burn and bubble, the steam coiling all around and threatening to drown out the coolness of the air.

I was an adult stuck in a child's body. I had a mature mind. I was an individual who was mostly self-reliant.

... and yet I was only human.

My passive features turned sharp, my sarcastic tone became barb-wired remarks, my polite and patient demeanor grew cold and impatient. The change in my attitude was quick to attract the attention of anyone who knew me, especially that of my parents. Izuku and Bakugō were the only ones stupid enough to still hang around with me, and most of the time I ended up scaring the crap out of Izuku with my surly mood than "Kacchan" ever did with him. Bakugō and I always came close to exchanging blows, our anger and fury easy to spot that teachers had to pull me away before baby fat fists started swinging around wildly. Like always, I was the one labeled the problem child who went around harassing outstanding kids like Bakugō who had a bright future with his flashy quirk.

My dark and sullen behavior worried my parents, both adults becoming increasingly disturbed of the ugly change in their little boy who had been nothing but sweet and courteous. A few times they tried to sit me down and confront me about it, but I always brushed off their concerns by viciously stabbing into my dinner, glaring at the television screen full of cheerful people having a fucking blast in their fictional lives, and retreating back into my room so I could lock the door and ignore my parents wanting to come in.

It wasn't just my behavior, it was also my grades at school that was crumbling under the pressure. The teachers all scoffed at my poor efforts in solving problems, shaking their heads and deeming me a hopeless child with no goal. Funny, I sneered at their faces, whether I did good or bad with my homework, they would either accuse me of copying someone or not trying hard enough. It was a mix bag of crazy that I didn't want to waste time in solving, so I allowed myself to fall behind in grades.

I grew more isolated from Izuku and Bakugō, my parents were gaining gray hairs with their constant worrying, and I was losing myself more and more towards the rage that was building more fire from the fuel life continued to throw at it.

Then one day, all the pent up negativity I had been bottling up for the past few months finally exploded like flying shrapnel glass.

...

Two years of our parents sticking close like a tight knit pack created a sort of pattern that each parent from the Sengoku, Midoriya, and Bakugō household would look after each other's children.

Today, it was the Bakugō's who were looking after Izuku and myself, the both of us trailing after the family to help them with their grocery shopping. Izuku and Bakugō were talking excessively about some superhero kiddie show they've watched, going on about the newest episode with its characters. Typical propaganda bullshit to feed the minds of eager, gullible children who saw the stars rather than the black void of silent space waiting to suffocate them.

"What do you think, Kuzan?" Izuku asked, all bright eyes with excitement written plainly on his freckled face.

Scoffing at the blind devotion, I ignored him and continued to follow after the two adults leading the way towards the grocery store; I didn't have to see to know that the die-hard All Might fanboy deflated at my lack of response.

" _Tch_. Crybaby is too dumb to keep up with shit, anyway." Bakugō jeered.

"You're right, I can't keep up with shit only babies watch." I easily retorted.

Bakugō was about to spit some nasty words at my back but then the parents in front of us announced that we arrived to the store which was across the street. Clustered together, we waited for the street light to turn green until we, along with a bunch of other people, walked along the striped path of the asphalt road until we made it inside the cool grocery store. Mrs. Bakugō was in the middle of warning her son not to wander off, but the little shit was close to throwing a tantrum for not doing stuff his own way.

"Fine! You can go around, but only because I want you to take this other half of the list we need," the older woman huffed as she tore her list in half, holding out the other towards her son.

"I'm not your stupid ass pack mule!"

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed the torn paper from the ash blond woman's hand and quickly set off to do the task she wanted done. All I could think about was finding an excuse to ditch their dinner in order to sneak back home (I knew where dad hid the keys so I could get inside the house). I wanted to lie in bed, listen to my playlist and drift to sleep. Letting the days go by me, I held some stupid hope for wishing to make time go fast enough so I was old enough to go on my own and disappear forever.

"Here! I'll help, too!" Izuku hurried after me, his legs struggling to keep up with my stride.

"Like you'll be any help, Deku." Bakugō snorted from behind us, also following just so he could give us unnecessary commentary. "You'll drop shit and then my old hag'll have to pay for it!"

"N-no I won't! I won't drop anything! I promise!"

"Shut up," I snapped at the two brats who followed me, wanting to get this done and over with quickly.

Their whining and little spats were already grating my ears, and my mood was quickly darkening the longer we were forced to spend time together. The basket I was holding knocked against my legs, threatening to trip me if I moved the wrong way.

"Sorry..."

"You wanna go?!" Bakugō snarled, and I could hear the little pops coming from behind me which was the firecracker explosions he wanted to set off to my head.

"Shut up." I growled, glaring at the people who were starting to notice the little scene Bakugō was creating. I looked away, not wanting to see the way their eyes morphed in that familiar expression I kept seeing ever since I arrived in Japan. "Quit your fucking tantrum."

"Kaccha—"

"You're such a fucking prick! All You do is bitch about everything!" the explosive brat continued, brushing off Izuku's nervous shuffling.

"Go back to your mom!" I hissed, feeling my imaginary hackles rise up. "If you can't shut your mouth for five goddamn minutes, then get lost!"

There was something stirring within me, that familiar steam from the hot oven that bubbled and choked the air with hot steam. My belly was twisting and strangling itself, my skin buzzing with sensitivity that I felt like I was going to explode at the slightest touch. Somewhere beyond the howling and raging brewing from within, my rational part was telling me to drop everything and leave... before something bad happened.

"Kacchan, Kuzan! Please!"

" _What's wrong with you_?!" he was outright screaming now, not caring about the many eyes we were drawing our way. "You're bad now, but you're so much worse when we're at school!"

"Shut up, Bakugō!"

"You keep making fun of the superhero shows I watch! When I said I wanted to be a hero, you laughed at my face!" Bakugō cried, a quiver in his voice as he kept ranting in my ear. "You're a fucking villain, Kuzan! I hope All Might gets you!"

Like a fissure that was steadily growing against the wall that had been the only thing keeping a force from getting through, it finally collapsed at the mounting pressure pressed against it, crumbling away while its deadly force was unleashed.

With a roar, I whirled around and nabbed the person closest to me—Bakugō—and pushed him backwards until we collided against the nearest surface. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, I yanked him forward before slamming back, his head violently bouncing against the hard wall. My anger was burning like timber and coal inside the fire, hands threatening to wrap themselves around that scrawny neck and _squeeze;_ I wanted to bash his brains in, I wanted him to finally shut his mouth, I wanted—

" _KUZAN_!"

The shrill cry sent a bolt of shock, my eardrums throbbing in pain at the heightened volume. My blind rage subsided enough to enable me to catch two red eyes staring up at me, their vision clouded with tears until they fell down baby fat cheeks.

And I saw what he was looking at. The wall I had slammed him into was a mirror, letting me see what sort of person Bakugō was facing.

I saw crazed eyes that sent ominous shivers down the victim's spine, the features of a child no longer there but replaced with a feral-looking creature that looked ready to rip someone's throat out. Bakugō, the boy who liked to break into restricted areas to find villains and bring them to justice, the boy who shouted profanity like nobody's business, the boy who declared he was going to be the best hero like his idol All Might, fell suddenly quiet that I was left horrified at the terror I instilled in him from my abhorrent actions.

But the worst part? I saw the old man's eyes.

Eyes that he had used to send me nightmares every time I fell into the dark slumber. And every time, I woke up in a world dyed red, and circling above me were shadows, giant birds that came closer and closer to me, ready to feast on my flesh as I was too weak, too sick, too pathetic to get away.

God, I hated those eyes.

I hated him!

 _I HATED THIS_!

I wound my arm back, ignoring the cries as I let it swung forward. Bakugō flinched, his arms raised to block the incoming blow.

 ** _crack!_**

Bakugō startled, his eyes snapping open to find my fist collided with the glass wall next to his head. The shorter boy yelped when he was shoved aside, falling to the floor but flinched at the sound of something shattering behind him.

"Kuzan!" Izuku screamed, finally finding his voice. " _Stop it_!"

Bakugō's head whipped up to see my other hand hitting the mirror wall. And with an angry bellow, the reflective surface shattered as I continued to pound against it with my fists. To their horror, red flecks of blood began to spread, bits of glass becoming embedded to the knuckles, but as if acting like they weren't there to begin with, I continued to assault the mirror.

Izuku leapt behind me, his scrawny arms grabbing me by the waist, screaming and crying at me to stop, but I shut out his cries. I screamed as I continued to attack the image, watching the face become cracked and disfigured, the pain in my knuckles becoming nothing but dullness as I attacked and attacked and attacked—

Two larger hands yanked me away from the bloody, shattered mirror.

I lashed out, kicked my legs, waved my hands that specks of warm blood fell across my face. I was still screaming, still howling with rage, still wanting to put my fist against those ugly eyes that stared back at me. Those eyes that accused me, that judged me, that wanted to eat me alive but spit me back out because I was garbage.

My face was tucked away, my captor's arms wrapping around me tightly and refusing to let go, I was trapped in their hold. With the fight still in me but nothing to beat it against, I let myself go in the only way I could at that moment: I cried.

And I cried, surrounded by horrified spectators that did nothing but stand there and watch with wide eyes while recording everything with their phones.

The video would play itself across the internet, commentators spouting things like a cantankerous child having a meltdown before exploding into violence by attacking the mirror until their hands were bloody and covered in sharp bits of glass. They would always remember the woman with similar ash blond hair as the boy who was attacked earlier, struggling at first as the screaming child thrashed before falling limp and crying into her arms.

When people got curious of who the people were, who the violent child was, they were thankfully left unanswered as the woman, her husband, and the three crying children were quick to drop everything and leave the grocery store immediately. The video, while popular, was short and barely covered the entire event, so when the next big hit was uploaded, the video became nothing but a relic of the past that was quickly forgotten by the masses as new exciting things took the audiences' attention.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

It didn't take long for dad to find out the source of it all.

And when dad knew what was up, mom was not far behind.

I felt their quiet rage all the way in the living room where I sat, staring at the flat screen that was playing a show but not really seeing anything. My hands, all bundled up in white bandages, occasionally throbbed whenever I folded my fingers to form a fist. Mom warned me not to do that, not to break my stitches, but I did it anyway and waited until the scent of copper filled my nostrils and watched the way the bandages on top of knuckles slowly grow wet with my blood.

Mom goes quiet in the kitchen but a sharp inhale disturbs the silence. She was frustrated, angry, but not towards me.

There was a faint trace of salt in the air; mom was crying.

I never, not even _once_ , made my mom cry. Making your mom cry is the worst thing a child could do to their parent, maybe if it was happy tears or making them come close to pissing themselves because you made them laugh so hard they stared crying, but never because you go out of your way to hurt them. But here I was, making my mom cry and driving her even more miserable than she already was.

She didn't deserve this shit. Dad didn't deserve this, either.

Her footsteps thump as she exits the kitchen and towards the living room, picking up a white box which was the first aid kit that she kept in the house. She sat on the coffee table in front of me, reaching for my hands so she could unwrap the bandages and stitch my bloody mess of knuckles for the fourth time.

"Why are you doing this?"

I didn't look up at her. I didn't want to see the tears in her eyes.

I especially didn't want to see those _eyes_.

"Darling?" her gentle fingers come under my chin, but I turn my head away so she doesn't force me to face her. "Why won't you look at me?"

How do you tell your mother that you can't stand to look her in the eyes because it made you want to grab the sharpest object you can find and jam it in her eye socket? How do you tell your mother that you can't stand to look her in the eyes because it made you think of vultures as they ate your flesh and bones while watching you? How do you tell your mother all these awful things hiding at the back of your teeth?

You don't.

...

After gathering separate statements from the only witnesses willing to pitch in and help (aka the Midoriya and Bakugō families), the school staff fell under heavy scrutiny with the investigators drawing in the teachers and principal to get their side of the story. All at once, the men and women pinned the blame on the problem child, citing how many times they've punished him for disturbances and being a general nuisance.

They all fell quiet when pictures of my bloody hands fell on their laps.

Whatever grudge they held, whatever story they had about why they acted the way they did, fell utterly short when the investigators confronted them about why a child, who was barely six-years-old, went about hurting himself.

Who was starting to mutilate himself, as the father of the child recently reported.

The psychological damage they were inflicting was going to go down on the reports, it was going to leave an ugly mark on their school, it was going to make people look twice at them and wonder if their children was even suited for such a place that allowed such a harmful thing to happen to one of their students with no actions done to prevent it. The teachers and principal felt the gravity of their situation... (but not an ounce of regret).

Dad smelt like coffee whenever he came home: dark and bitter.

My parents filed a lawsuit after the investigation concluded the staff guilty of emotional abuse and negligence on a student. I was pulled out of the school, alongside Izuku and Bakugō, which aroused the curiosity and suspicion of other parents who stuck their noses in and asked some questions here and there of what was going on. And with that, the can of worms was opened and the school's reputation began to deteriorate as more parents pulled their children out, looking instead to place them somewhere that wouldn't discriminate them for whatever petty reason.

The boys and I were put in another primary school, and I watched from my new desk as my parents pulled the principal and my teacher aside to give them their one and only warning:

"Don't fuck with our kid."

The new school was an improvement of the last one (nobody throwing stuff around, nobody to copy my work, nobody to point fingers at me and saying I stole their toy), but I still watched everyone with wary eyes. I didn't form groups with anyone outside of Izuku and Bakugō, I didn't take anyone's offer to play games during play time, and I didn't participate whenever the teacher asked me to answer a question.

It was much better than the last school, but I couldn't bring myself to go back to the way I was. It was like trying to force myself to wear an old shirt that was too uncomfortable and tight, restricting and threatening to tear at the seams. As much as I appreciated the efforts of my parents, the other families, and the investigators who helped take down the haughty school full of bastard teachers that fed the hurt, the damage was done.

I still couldn't look my mom in the eye.

My hands throbbed behind the bandages.

I squeezed and watched the white dye itself red.

* * *

Because I can't find a wiki page of them in the BN/MHA wikipedia, I decided to go ahead and make up names for the three boys that hung around Bakugō. Jeez, that author likes to make thinsg difficult for us by handing out little information to the rest of us fans, huh?

Hisao (Long Fingers) - His name means " _Long_ -lived Man"

Hiryū (Gargoyle Wings) - His name means "Flying Dragon"

Tsukuyo (Dark-Haired Kid) - His name means "Moonlit Night"

Also, in case you guys might want clarification later, here's a chart of the character's ages for you.

Jorunn - 9 years older than Kuzan

Ingunn - 6 years older than Kuzan

Ida - 5 years older than Kuzan

Sigrid/Ingrid - 4 years older than Kuzan

Katsuki - 8 months older than Kuzan

Izuku - 5 months older than Kuzan


	6. Prelude: What I Lost

**A/N:** So, I have half that say that they are intrigued of the latest chapter, expressing how the story seems to delve into some matters in a way that makes you stop and think... and then there's the half that look at it and think of it as poorly written.

 ** _A Rare Fondness_ ,** upon first impression of their criticism, I actually winced at their bluntness. Thankfully I was able to contact them and explain some points of why Kuzan reacted the way he did at the end of the previous chapter. This also gave me an insight of why they thought Kuzan as "irrational, spineless, and a total wimp". I thought I had left enough information on previous chapters about the poor relationship between the Sengoku's and majority of the Japanese citizens.

I would encourage you to read the story again. Don't skim some parts because the paragraphs are too big, but actually read through it carefully. This whole thing started literally in the first chapter, the prologue where you see the Gunnarsen-Japan fall-out.

Do you guys remember that fancy equipment in the anime/manga? Imagine if they didn't have that stuff. Imagine if the heroes didn't have the tech they needed to use against villains because resources was kind of short. The Gunnarsens are a family that had connections to their resources, and Aksel Gunnarsen, the head honcho of the company he owned, was about to sign that deal where he'd be handing over more resources to provide the heroes in the East more cool shit. But that didn't happen.

Because Chaos Theory happened. Because Grete and Enzō happened.

Because _Kuzan_ happened.

You all should be experts by now to know that there are causes and effects to whatever actions you do. Your parent tells you not to drive the car, you either sit at home and do whatever it is you do or you dismiss the warning and steal their car which leads to getting pulled over by a cop/being reported/parent finding out and grounding you for a month because of it. So when Grete met Enzō, she could have either ignored him and married that guy she was suppose to be with or ignore her father and marry Enzō.

Again, please read the story from the beginning to understand what's going on. This isn't some story where people are picking on the Sengoku family for no reason because that would have been the mark of a dumbass author who only wanted to make up a dumbass tragic backstory for her characters; people are angry at the actions of one person's decision which led to awful consequences for everyone else who didn't deserve it.

 ** _Prince_ ,** I dare you to keep that hashtag after you read this chapter. I _DARE_ YOU.

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **Prelude: Part III**

 **.**

* * *

Everything was bright. Florescent lights which burned into the retina of my eyes, making it difficult for me in forcing myself to open them.

I felt heavy. It wasn't like your body was still in the throes of grogginess, all lethargic as it moved lazily to get the rest of the body up and moving, this was more like my body was barely cooperating with my brain signals. It was as if someone poured heavy amounts of mud or wet cement on my torso, arms, and legs.

My mouth felt dry; my throat was dusty as a barren desert (giant wings circling 'round and 'round in the blood red sky).

The first thing that came to me was the smell: a mix pot of disinfectant formulas like chlorine and iodoform, the ghastly scent of puke which I could almost practically _taste_ when I breathed through my mouth, and then there was the heavy amount of alcohol lingering in the air. And then there was the faint traces of copper...

And then there was the noise. Squeaky sneakers walking across tiled hallways, machines that measured pulses and heart rates, liquid which dripped continuously through plastic bags, the murmur of voices outside the door of the room I was occupying.

My body was wearing something light and thin, and it was covered by an also light weighted quilt that kept me warm from the sterile cold room that was about as blank as a piece of paper. I could feel something embedded in my skin, somewhere in my wrist.

I saw the I.V. bag and the monitor machines.

I was in a hospital.

... why was I in a hospital?

Better question: why was I _admitted_ in a hospital?

I hated hospitals. The smell was so hard to block out that I ended up feeling sick because of it. It boggled my mind why mom would work in such a place that would screw around with her sensitive smell and taste buds, but she was an expert in controlling her senses so she wasn't bothered by it as I was. Mom always told me to practice on lowering my sense of smell and taste since all I ever did was control my keen hearing (the sound of screeching children was a great motivator to master that particular skill).

But that didn't explain why I was lying on a medical gurney, a needle stuck up in my arm, and completely alone—

The scent of black coffee beans and shaving cream filtered through my nose, and I welcomed it over everything else. I turned my head towards the door in time to see it open up, a flood of noise and smells entering where it had been previously muffled.

Dad was there, listening into the phone he was holding to his ear. I could hear a gruff voice speaking on the other side of the line, probably his co-worker at the police department.

The man halted when he saw me.

And like someone flipping a switch to make time move forward, dad broke into motion and hurried over to my bedside. His hands, large and engulfing hands, both reached and shied away from touching me, his dark eyes darting all over my form.

"Da—" my voice, I winced, felt cracked.

"Oh God, Kuzan," dad rushed towards my bedside, his conversation on the phone forgotten as he settled his large hands on my face. "Oh thank God!"

He pressed a call button next to the medical gurney, alerting the nurse station.

"Dad...?" I tried again, but was forced to stop when dad hushed me.

"Lemme get you some ice and water, bud."

He quickly moved over to a small filtered sink and fridge in the corner of the room where it was close to the bathroom. Taking a plastic cup and filling it with cool water and small ice chips, he returned and carefully tipped the cup forward towards my lips. My limbs still felt too heavy, and I was tired, so I allowed him to help guide the cup and guzzled the water down. It was like the dried earth was getting over flooded by rainwater, soothing the ground so there would be no more fissures left behind. My throat no longer felt like a withered tunnel, and my tongue and mouth became appropriately damp enough for me to finally talk without croaking like some frog.

"There you go, bud." I felt dad's fingers comb through my hair, the tip of his nose pressed against the temple of my head. "You're okay now. You're alright."

"Dad?" I swallowed, looking around the room in confusion. "What happened?"

A pause.

His head slowly pulled away so that we were face-to-face, and what I saw made something in me freeze. He looked both cautious and... I couldn't but into words, but he looked like he didn't want to be the bearer of bad news.

"What's going on?" I demanded, becoming increasingly anxious when dad hesitated to speak any further. "Why am I here? What happened?"

"Kuzan, calm down," dad ordered, trying to restrain me when I made to sit up again. "You're fine, son."

"Dammit, just tell me! What happe— _Argh_!"

From all the moving around, trying to push dad's hands off my chest, I was startled by the sharp pain that came from the other arm that was not hooked up to the I.V. bag. My eyes stared at the limb, trying to comprehend what I was looking at.

My forearm was covered in heavy gauze pads with bandages wrapped around to keep it there. But in the middle of my arm there was a dark red spot of blood. The copper that I smelled earlier, it was coming from my arm. Inspecting the arm carefully, I spotted another dark spot underneath it.

It was like someone stuck through my forearm as if it was a—

 _Ŗ̶̨̻̜̯͇̪̥̥̄̌́̐͐̓͊̍̿̃͑Û̶̩̏̆̅̌͂͋̔̓͒́N̶̨̨̜̺̭͙̤̿͛̓͜_

Something began to creep from the back of my neck, slipping ever closer to my head that it left raised hairs in its wake. My eyes still trained on the bloodied limb yet seeing something deeper and uglier.

 _Ŗ̶̨̻̜̯͇̪̥̥̄̌́̐͐̓͊̍̿̃͑Û̶̩̏̆̅̌͂͋̔̓͒́N̶̨̨̜̺̭͙̤̿͛̓͜ A̶̪̹͙̪͓͓̟̣̱͑̃̇̓̀̒̏͒̒͊͝Ẅ̴̛̦́͛̀̇́̌͋̋́̿̈́͘͝A̶̪̹͙̪͓͓̟̣̱͑̃̇̓̀̒̏͒̒͊͝Y̶̨͚͔̖̯̌͗̎̓̀͗̆̏̒_

The thing continued its way, clawing and digging itself deeper until it became a black hole which only I could enter; but the darkness scared me, it frightened me, yet the truth was waiting from inside its depths. With a trembling heart, I dared to look inside the abyss.

 _I̵̧͖͔͔̻̜̺͔̘͗͒̇͑̐͐͠Z̶̢̩̣͇̦͈͇̳̅̆͋̈͗͊͌̎̓͝Ứ̷͖͓͍̭̙̙͉̣̯̓̋̋͗͠͡_

And I saw what looked back.

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"What is this?"

Distracted by the movie they were watching, Izuku and Bakugō paid little attention to the two women talking in the dining room table. I was sitting at the far side of the couch, allowing me a better perch to hear what was going on while tuning out the bombastic pictures on the television screen. Mom was staring at some small slip of paper given to her by Mrs. Bakugō, the ash blond-haired woman sipping her coffee as she waited for mom to finish reading the little pamphlet she was holding in her hands.

"It's a one year membership," the woman said, her words oddly careful. "You can say no if you want. But... but I think you should consider it."

"... Will this actually help him?"

"Therapy certainty isn't working out so great."

I almost snorted. It took several times before my parents finally called it quits. The therapists were too busy giving my parents lectures than they were in doing their jobs, feeding into the growing problem. The first therapist didn't waste time in exchanging scathing words at my mother, calling her a selfish and irrational woman who deserved what society was throwing at her. I, meanwhile, remained silent as we were escorted out of the building after mom came close to knocking the therapist's teeth in, warned that there would be lawsuits thrown at us if she returned to cause more "trouble".

The second therapist maneuvered around my parents and struck me instead. He called me a selfish, whiny, impudent brat that was causing everyone trouble, that the previous school I had attended didn't deserve to be shut down for whatever false accusations my family was throwing at it, and that children of my kind deserved to be punished. By the end of the first session, I felt so sick that I didn't reach the restroom in time before I spewed my guts on the shiny floor of the receptionist waiting room.

With the third therapist, dad lost it and broke the fucker's nose. It could have ended with us going to court, but because mom had been wary of leaving me alone with the asshole shrinks, she left me with a phone that recorded the entire session I was forced to sit down in. After the evidence was watched and reviewed, the therapist tucked tail and backed off for fear of the repercussions while dad got off with a suspension from the police department. Once again, we were told never to come back to the establishment.

It was a journey so hopeless that my parents finally saw the folly of looking for anymore places. Sometimes I saw dad look at his phone contacts, eyeing a couple of names before cursing under his breath as he turned the screen off, feeling helpless and appearing haunted by the trouble that continued to mount itself on everyone's shoulders.

"Look, I had issues when I was growing up. You think I'm bad now? You should've seen me thirteen years ago." Mrs. Bakugō huffed in her mug. "Deadbeat dad, mom working herself sick, and a dumbass kid who didn't know shit like she pretended. Ended up joining a gang, almost got expelled a few times for being a nuisance with no future."

I could see it in my head, colors painting the blank canvas to display the image. A young Mitsuki being a hellion to the people surrounding her, her absent father driving her to become a bitter person who felt worthless, and her mother sick from overworking herself to put food on the table which only dug the shrapnel deep in her heart. Maybe she wanted to help by trying to look after herself, to not worry her poor mother, but when it didn't pan out for her as she wanted, it led to her getting into all sorts of trouble.

In that pitiful state of worthlessness, Mitsuki had enough of the bullshit and began to lash out, her viscious driving people away while dragging her closer to unsavory people who felt just as unloved and unnoticed. Skipping classes, fighting other gangs from different school districts, harassing the shit out of other students, and getting drunk and high from bottles and drugs, she slowly spiraled out of control.

Mom stared at the paper in her hands. "How did you get past it?"

The other woman shrugged. "I joined the volleyball team."

The answer evoked a dumb reply of "What?"

"Crazy, huh?" Mrs. Bakugō chuckled. "I was about to be expelled, but this guy, a gym teacher, brought up the idea that since I was so high-wired and shit, I might as well focus all that energy into a sport."

"W-what?" mom choked out again, still bewildered as I felt.

"I hated showing up to practice, thinking the whole thing wasn't worth my time, but the girls and couch would kind of taunt me at how much of a quitter I was. I was so pissed off that I wanted to prove them wrong, so I did their stupid drills and participated in their mock games. By the end of the day, I was tired and sore, sweating buckets, but I was so fired up! Everything I did that day in the gym—it felt _right_. Channeling all that negativity and turning it into something useful, slamming my hands and wrists until they turned red, my body exhausted that all I could think about was going home, taking a shower, sleeping it off, and going back to the gym the next day so I could do it all over again."

Thinking about the few times I visited the Bakugō residence, I had spotted a couple of trophies lined up on some shelves. The golden figurines were all posed in positions of action, the characters engraved on the plates stated high ranked spots such as first to fifth place. I never inspected them carefully to wonder who they belonged to, too busy dodging Bakugō when he demanded attention.

"He needs an outlet is what I'm trying to say."

"..."

"If you don't do something, it's only going to get so much worse for Kuzan."

"I-I know," mom sighed. "I just don't want this to escalate his problems."

"If you're worried about him turning his fists on someone, I wouldn't worry about that." Mrs. Bakugō leaned back in her chair, red eyes drifting elsewhere. "I remembered, my son was on the floor and Izuku was trying to pull Kuzan away to keep the kid from hurting himself. I think he was about to beat Katsuki, but Kuzan backed off at the last second, so he went for the glass instead."

"God," mom bowed her head. "Over a hundred stitches...! Can't remember how many times I had to stitch them back. He just, he keeps tearing them open even after I told him so many times to stop—!"

"Grete," the ash blond woman placed a comforting hand over mom's shoulder. "I'm not gonna push you, but please consider this option for your kid's sake. If talking isn't gonna help him, then getting him active is the next best thing for your son."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Welcome to Toyo's One-Punch Training gym!" chirped the receptionist.

It was like looking at a playground made for adults. Besides the obvious work-out areas and swimming pool, there was also a track that went around the edge of the entire building until it led to the second and third floor to continue the trail and then back to the first floor (probably to keep it going for the runners who weren't satisfied with one lap). I also spotted some closed areas where anyone could see that there was a yoga class going on, probably sound proof to keep the noise out and the zen flowing.

" _Whoooaaa_ ~!" Izuku gawked from beside me, eyes like stars as he took in the whole scene. "So cool~!"

" _Psh_!" Bakugō scoffed, clearly not impressed. "This dump isn't on _my_ level."

"Then why are _you_ here?" I sneered at him.

The other boy startled at the sound of my voice (I hadn't said a word to him, not since the incident that took place at the grocery store), but as taken aback as he was, it didn't stop him from whirling around to return my scathing tone. However, he went silent when dad placed a warning hand over Bakugō's head, his other doing the same when it came to rest over the crown of my dark hair.

"Cool it guys," dad admonished us lightly, giving me and Bakugō a pointed look that ordered us not to make a scene. "Now let's go see if we can sign you up in the gym class, okay?"

Throwing each other a couple of dirty looks, we wordlessly followed after dad while Izuku trailed behind us, hyper aware of the tension brewing over our heads.

I could easily understand Izuku tagging along, probably want to show his support or get an early start in training his body, but Bakugō's presence made me agitated. His parents probably thought it was a good opportunity for him to let off some steam, allowing the excess of energy to drain out the longer the boy went at the punching bags and fake targets provided by the special gym. Or maybe his family just wanted him to spend some quality time with his "friends" from school. Either that, or the little shit just wanted to go in because Izuku and I were doing this so he wouldn't feel like he was falling behind. It was stupid to think of that, but thinking back on it, a lot of kids had to start somewhere in their training if they planned on pursuing the goal of becoming ).

Whatever his reason, Bakugō was joining us.

Dad stopped in front of some entrance that was located the far edge of the giant establishment, checking out the map he was given at the reception desk (the TOPT gym was fucking huge, FYI). Looking around properly, I noticed other kids loitering around which meant this part of the TOPT gym was for youths. It was located near the entrance but away from the rest of area so the kids would stay out of the way of the adults who took their work-out seriously, a smart move in creating this place.

"Oh wow! That kid just phased through a wall!" Izuku pointed at some random direction. "But he's gonna get in trouble! He shouldn't be using his quirk in public!"

"Don't worry, kiddo," dad reassured the freckled midget. "This area is cleared for quirk usage."

"Yeah, stupid!" Bakugō haughtily laughed. "Everyone and their grandma know that there's places where people can use their quirks whenever they want to!"

"Katsuki," dad warned the little brat, voice taking a sharp turn. "Not cool to pick on others, hot-shot. You want to be a hero, don't you?"

"Hell yeah! I'm gonna kick a lot of villain ass when I become a hero!"

"Then be the kind of hero who doesn't go around picking on others."

"But you picked on that dude!" Bakugō pointed out, an accusing finger directed at dad.

Apparently, news of dad decking that asshole therapist in the face was spreading faster than a California wildfire.

"That's because I ain't a hero." I heard dad reply, voice soft.

"Shut up, Bakugō." I snapped at the other boy when he looked like he was going to say more. "C'mon Izuku, let's leave him to keep talking his head off while we sign up for those classes."

Izuku made a face from being put in the spotlight like that, but he didn't fight me when I dragged him along to look for the registration forms. I just wanted to make Bakugō stop interrogating my dad when he didn't know squat about what was going on between my family and everyone else (plus, it wasn't any of his goddamn business to know every little detail regarding my life).

"Whatever, crybaby! Don't be surprised when I knock your teeth in! You too, Deku!"

"K-Kacchan!"

Dad registered us as beginners which meant we were included with a bunch of other kids who were in the same age group. Earlier, I saw some older kids that were already in the middle of performing some complex exercise techniques in another section of the gym, so that put them ahead of our group. They had an instructor overseeing the entire work-out, and thinking about the instructor made me internally wince. I could only imagine what sort of a headache our instructor would bring me, and I wouldn't be surprised if they used me as an example of whatever they wanted to show to the rest of the students, eager at the chance to toss me around the mats.

Dad and I hung back from the rest of the parents and children, not wanting to face another round of angry people looking to fight us in the name of the society that was wrongly turned away by the Gunnarsens and its other close connections to similar companies. I kept dad busy with some small talk, knowing he must have felt awkward just standing there by his lonesome self yet not wanting to cause a scene if someone recognized him (the old man was to blame, spreading dad's profile so everyone would have a face to punch should they come across him).

Izuku meanwhile was letting his eyes wander, mentally cataloging every quirk he could spot so he could later dissect it in his journals he kept shelved away in his room. Even after all these years, the way he was able to identify and write down paragraphs of how the quirk worked, even its weaknesses, was astounding to me. Bakugō, on the other hand, continued to be a general nuisance by giving anyone within the vicinity a death glare.

"Alright, kiddies! Line 'em up!"

In came a man... sort of.

He looked like a rock monster straight out of Pokémon, or maybe even the Thing from the Fantastic Four. Whatever the case, I was staring at a bulky, six foot seven inch dude with thick skin that looked like he was going to break bones than teach little children how to throw a punch. I wasn't the only guy gaping at the huge fucker, Izuku's jaws were practically touching the floor as he took in the sight of our teacher.

"Was I not clear?! _LINE UP_!"

Immediately, the little ones scrambled to form a line. I took my time to get between some girl and, much to my annoyance, Bakugō. The rock dude in the dark gray tank top and black sweatpants took his time to assess every one of us, and it took everything in me not to meet his eyes when I felt them pause on my face. Thankfully, he didn't linger on me for long, moving along to scare the other kids with his intimidating frame looming over their tiny heads.

With the way he was acting, you'd think the rock dude was some drill sergeant.

The rock man finally ended his little survey and moved to stand at the center of the mats. With his bulging, stony arms folded behind his back, his posture straight, and his legs slightly spread out to help balance himself, he stared down everyone from across him—including the adults that stood not too far away from where we were.

"My name is Tsuchiya Iwakuma! I will be your instructor!" the rock man bellowed, making some of the brats flinch.

Thinking on how low in numbers of youth's there was in the gym made me think that TOPT was treated like a sort of U.A. branch extended to the public who had the connections to be here. It wasn't like everyone was mowed down if they didn't do good enough to gain entrance to the prestigious school, yet seeing how easily startled the other kids were, something told me that this instructor was going to weed out the kids who couldn't take this place seriously.

There was a reason why I saw a handful of kids in the other classes.

How the hell did Bakugō's mom get her hands on a membership card? TOPT gym didn't seem the type that gave free hand-outs to anyone on the streets; honestly, this place gave me more Fight Club vibes (this establishment took the first two rules seriously because I hadn't even heard of TOPT until Mrs. Bakugō told us about it).

"—kay, kids! Let's begin today with some simple work-out! You can't start training or otherwise you'll pull a muscle!" I tuned in, watching Tsuchiya gesture us all closer to the mats. "Come on, come on! Hop to it, kids!"

Separated into smaller groups, it became a circle of different exercises that Tsuchiya demonstrated to each little group. It reminded me of the work-out back when I was in middle school and high school, the P.E. teachers adamant that their students kept in shape and active before we did some basketball or, on the rare occasional, played dodgeball (good times).

My group ended up doing squats. Tsuchiya challenged everyone to do fifteen or more within five minutes before signalling everyone to begin the activity. Despite the simple demonstration, I almost lost my balance and fell on my ass a few times. It took me a few times to get it right but by then my thighs were starting to protest with the burn building in my muscles, my young body already becoming tired of the exercise. From the corner of my eyes, Bakugō was going at it like it was natural for him, huffing and puffing as he squatted with some ease. Izuku meanwhile looked like he was about to fall backwards, his arms flailing around that it almost smacked the other kid in our little group.

"Watch it, idiot!" the boy with a blue afro hair snapped at Izuku.

"S-sorry!"

A sharp whistle from Tsuchiya announced that our five minutes were up and that we needed to move to the next place for a new form of work-out.

We did mountain climbs, front kick lunges, high knee jogs, plyo lunges, burpees, split squat jacks, and jack burpees, all of which was five minutes each to do. By then, everyone had worked up a sweat and were a panting mess, our shirts clinging to our sweat soaked skin, our baby fat muscles burning while we were exhausted. Izuku lied sprawled on the blue mats, breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breath back into his lungs. I wiped the drops off my forehead, nose scrunching at the salt that assaulted my nose.

"From now on, everyday you come here, this will be our warm-up before we start our sessions!" Tsuchiya announced, standing like a statue with his arms crossed as he stared us down.

" _WHAT_?!" someone screeched. "That was just a warm-up?!"

"Yeah! What of it?" Tsuchiya challenged, his thick brow (was it an eyebrow?) rose, daring the speaker to complain. "Like I said before class started: you need to do the warm-ups first. I'd recommend you also take up jogging to help build up some stamina, but that's your choice."

A hand rose in the air. Tsuchiya spotted the limb and nodded at the kid, giving them permission to speak.

"When do we get to use our quirks?"

Tsuchiya hummed, looking around the gym.

"This class is for beginners, right? Well, right now, I'm teaching you kids first about disciplining. After all, you can't always rely on your quirks, that's just being absolutely lazy." Tsuchiya explained. "But depending how well you do, if you take this course on, you'll come to the point where we start working your quirks out."

Some kids were put off with that answer, looking like they wanted to whine about it but were wise to keep their opinions to themselves. Izuku's fingers messed around with his shoe laces, eyes distant as he stared at the ground.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Like I thought, kids started dropping out of the beginners class.

I was beginning to see why there was a one year free membership deal quietly spreading around the public; it was mostly to cut down the lazy from the promising members of the gym, preventing misunderstandings and angry mobs demanding a refund of their money. It was a smart move on the TOPT gym's part, sending the flunkies to other gyms that were more lenient but unfortunately didn't have the finesse it did in the giant gym. TOPT was all about bringing out the potential of the civilian's quirks, probably also helping them realize what sort of direction they wanted to go in life.

Japan was pretty competitive, barely had a moments rest in the daily life of a paper pusher, so I could only guess that Pro hero work was just as exhausting. I looked at Izuku and Bakugō sometimes, shaking my head at them because I could already see what sort of work life's got cut out for them (and that was taking into account of the problems today without the future knowledge piled on top of large load).

Disciplining ourselves, getting some familiarity out of it, I was starting to feel a little at home in the gym after school ended. Back then in my previous life, I dreaded doing anything physical besides playing some kick ball with my relatives because I was another lazy mooch, but now, after going through a lot of emotional stress, it was therapeutic.

There was something cathartic about feeling your energy drain, your body burn hot with numbness and ache, and the high-wired emotions sizzle down into apathy. Whatever anger or frustration I felt from bottling it up for hours gradually melted away into concentration on whatever activities Tsuchiya had us doing.

To my slight surprise, Izuku kept up with the rest of the kids. He was a bit smaller than most kids our age, and he was a bit shy, but the freckled fanboy was a determined punk and Tsuchiya saw that. Instead of telling the small boy to call it quits or take it easy because he was quirkless, the older man pushed Izuku to take another step, to give another push-up, to do one more squat so he could finish with the rest of his class. It made my tentative respect for the instructor climb.

Not to anyone's surprise, Bakugō did splendidly. All that energy and angry spite he had broiled up in him made good for doing and completing his work-outs, taking Tsuchiya's instructions to heart.

Too bad he still had enough left to talk shit to me and Izuku.

"That Iwa guy says we're moving from beginners to novices! That means we finally get to work on using our quirks!" Bakugō grinned smugly from his spot at the top of the jungle gym he claimed as his high throne, ignoring the kids that ran beneath his feet during recess time. His red eyes peered down at Izuku. "You hear that Deku? I'm gonna wipe the floor with your stupid face!"

"You'll get in trouble for that, Kacchan!" Izuku protested—from right behind my taller frame. "Tsuchiya-sensei said he won't tolerate anyone in his class using his teachings to go around fighting people on purpose! You'll get expelled!"

"Let him do what he wants." I yawned, getting really bored with the one-sided animosity gathering around the little shit. " _Baka_ gō was never cut out for stuff like calm and control."

" _Psh_ , yeah right you— _OI_! WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?! YOU'RE DEAD, CRYBABY!" Bakugō shouted at my retreating back, already climbing down from the top of the jungle gym to give chase at the person who slandered his name.

Months of dedication to the TOPT gym made everyone breathe a little easier. The incident at the grocery grew farther away and it was starting to seem like some faraway bad dream. Seeing as how deeply involved we were, and how it helped me especially with my issues, mom and dad decided to give me a full on membership card into the TOPT gym. Not to anyone's surprise, Izuku and Bakugō got one of their own as well.

With the one year free membership expired, Tsuchiya had us and several other kids who remained through the trials begin our next level of activity: quirk utilization.

"Oi, you! Don't do that! Tape your hands first!"

Stopping myself from slipping the glove over the rest of my hand, I spotted Tsuchiya striding towards me with some white wraps sitting in the middle of his rocky palm. The gym instructor knelt down when he got close enough, gesturing me to stretch my hands so he could put the tape on; there was a small pause when he caught sight of the ugly, twisted scars that covered my knuckles, but he thankfully said nothing as he got to work.

"Okay, now you can slip those gloves on." Tsuchiya finished, standing up to his full height. "Never forget to wrap those wrists. You'll end up hurting yourself like that."

"Thanks."

The kiddie punching bag in front of me never stood a chance.

...

A discovery happened during a mock fighting session.

Everyone was split into pairs with protective pads and headgear strapped on. It took everything in me not to roll my eyes when Bakugō declared himself my sparring partner, but I suppose it was better me considering he would have flattened Izuku within a few short seconds. Izuku was thankfully paired with a more benevolent child who didn't go out of their way to make him miserable.

Everyone was spread out, making room for other pairs so we wouldn't accidentally bump in each other. While Tsuchiya was lecturing us on defense techniques, I was fiddling with my headgear, trying and failing to tie it around my head properly because the plastic buckle refused to cooperate.

"Let's go, crybaby!" Bakugō roared, springing to life as Tsuchiya finished his demonstration.

"Hey, wai—" I suddenly ducked my head, barely missing the glove that came swiping at my face. "You asshole! I said wait!"

"Don't be a wuss!" the little shit jabbed another arm at me, and I was barely able to avoid it. God, for a eight-year-old, Bakugō was quick! "If you don't wanna get slugged in the face then dodge _this_!"

My eyes easily kept track of his movements, but my body could barely react in time to his flurry of attacks. The kid was shockingly good at fighting, incredibly dedicated to the fighting craft that I was surprised in myself for feeling things like amazement. I had seen Bakugō as an older boy, standing in the middle of a stadium and leaving the audience in awe at his performance. He was violent, he was powerful, and he was determined to get to the top, crushing anyone who stood in his way. I swallowed back the things that started to climb up from my chest up my throat, threatening to spread itself on my tongue and teeth that it would leave a sour taste afterwards if I acknowledged it.

So caught up in watching where his fists went, I barely took notice of his legs which proved to be a big mistake. My hands flew up in time to avoid getting kneed, but that left me wide open for Bakugō.

"EAT SHIT!"

To my eyes, it was like watching everything in slow motion. I was able to track the hand, as if I had been drugged with something that made my body become sluggish, and I was too slow to do anything to stop that thing from hitting me. What was worse was that through the onslaught of attacks, my headgear fell off, no thanks to the little shit for giving me enough time to secure it.

Oddly, with the glove inching closer towards the space around the bridge of my nose and between my eyes, I suddenly remembered the damn baseball that killed me.

And then I was punched in the face. Hard.

My head flew backwards.

... and it kept flying backwards.

You would think that after getting a mean sucker punch like that to the face, you'd be knocked off your feet and flat on your back, but that's not what happened. My feet remained planted to the floor and my body didn't tip over far enough to which gravity would then have me fall backwards. There was a strange sensation coming from my neck, and when I looked, I caught the eyes of the stunned students. The way their gaping mouths fell open, their eyes bulging out of their sockets, their voices strangling in the back of their throats, red flags and alarm bells blared noisily in the back of my mind.

And then I saw Izuku.

 _'Hey,'_ I thought to myself. _'Wasn't he on the other side of ring?'_

The answer to my question on how Izuku was able to move so close to my area when Tsuchiya placed him and his partner away from me and Bakugō came when my head suddenly started to retreat away from Izuku and the other children—

And collide straight into Bakugō's face.

...

"—and that's how we found out that Sengoku-kun could stretch."

One trip to the hospital found everyone sitting inside Bakugō's room at the children's wing. After Tsuchiya relayed the story, I was left in a state of deep guilt and mortification, barely lifting my head up for anyone. I had no trouble in coughing up words of apologies to Bakugō because, believe or not, I wasn't going out of my way to hurt him. Sure, he was a brat that deserved to be taken down a few pegs to balance out the ego he had festering inside, but that didn't mean he deserved a broken nose and a concussion. His mom was able to rein him in (despite being the source of his crass language and bad attitude) and my sarcasm worked like a deterrent to keep him from getting all physically violent because he was too busy trying to come up with something witty to say back.

Even back when I momentarily lost my marbles in the grocery store, I was cognitive enough to shove him out the way and instead attack the glass wall with my bare hands, uncaring how the shards dug into my skin and left blood splatters almost everywhere.

My fingers dug into the skin of my knuckles, wishing that I could summon forth the ache that sent stings on my open wounds.

This was the second time I've hurt their child (Bakugō had a bump on the back of his head when I had slammed him repeatedly against the glass wall). I was beginning to wonder when the volcano was going to explode, when Mrs. Bakugō would say enough was enough and would forbid me from coming near her son (not that I've tried it before because I _have_ tried on multiple occasions to avoid him, but the little bastard was relentless in his mission to make me feel miserable).

A hand sat atop my head.

"Don't do that."

I was sitting at the corner of the room, away from everyone else who stood near Bakugō's gurney. Izuku was sitting on the edge of bed, his legs swinging back and forth as he held a Dr. Seuss book (in Norwegian) to read to the sullen-looking ash blond brat. Mr. Bakugō had left to grab some food for his son, wife, and Izuku, he offered to buy for mom and me but we both declined.

"You didn't mean it." Tsuchiya pulled my fingers away from my scars. "Don't try to get even by hurting yourself. You think it's a great idea at first, but it'll only make you do things like buy sharp object because the pain ain't big enough to block out the bad stuff life likes to keeps throwing at you."

I stared at my white sneakers.

"Words and guilt hurt like hell, but don't ever turn to pain as an outlet." Tsuchiya backed away. "Get angry. Scream. Cry. Do whatever you want... just don't do something that'll make your mama cry."

... I hated making mom cry.

"Oi, Kuzan!" interrupted a nasally stuffy nose. Tsuchiya and I looked towards the gurney bed to see Bakugō throwing me a death glare beyond his bruised eyes and heavily bandaged nose. "Next time, I won't let you take me by surprise! I'm gonna kick your ass!"

Just like that, the dreadful thoughts that lingered in the shadow of my mind ebbed away to leave behind exasperation and irritation. Trust Bakugō to boost back your anger with only a few words.

"Kacchan," Izuku grounded out under his breath, nervously eyeing Tsuchiya who stood right back up from his spot. "Sensei's right here."

"I don't give a fu—"

"Brat, don't even finish that sentence!" Mrs. Bakugō warned her son, eyes narrowed dangerously.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Beyond the discovery, quirk registration update, another safety talk on quirk usage, and a weekend break from the TOPT gym, there was now a blooming curiosity that focused on my quirk.

Izuku examined me like he was a professional quirkologist.

"I paid attention when Dr. Tsubada was examining me." Izuku explained as he held my arm up and had a part of my skin pinched between his fingers, watching my skin stretch as he pulled on it. "Does this hurt?"

"Tsubasa...?" I mouthed, wondering why that name was familiar.

"Remember Hiryū? Kacchan's friend that moved away a year ago? He has red wings. Anyway, his grandpa was the doctor that diagnosed me."

I remembered the winged fatty, glad to see him disappear as it meant one less person for me to deal with when confronted with Bakugō and his little gang of dumbass goons. I indulged Izuku's curiosity, letting him poke and prod at me.

"Your quirk acts more like a rubber band than it does in shape-shifting your body," the freckled boy concluded after awhile of examining me and taking notes in one of his journals.

I blinked. "What?"

"I mean, maybe it has to do with control and experience, but whenever I pull your skin or arm, it doesn't stay stretched. It snaps back to its original form." Izuku scratched the back of his head, eyeing me. "Your dad's quirk doesn't do that. Whenever he stretches himself, it's all in a malleable state of his will. It doesn't rebound back like yours does."

While Izuku busied himself in jotting down a few notes in his journal, I was hit with a new revelation: I was a _rubber_ boy.

Memories of the life before, memories of another fandom I found immense joy in watching, memories of another boy made of rubber made itself known to my mind. And suddenly, I was hit with the conversation I had with my dorm mate before my ridiculous end by baseball to the face.

 _"Hey man?"_

 _"Mm?"_

 _"If you, like, had to pick a superpower, what would it be?"_

"Holy shit..." I muttered in English. "No way."

"Did you say something?" Izuku asked, pausing from his writing.

"Hey, Izu," I turned towards the smaller boy. "Wanna help me find out what else I can do?"

"Uhh..." Izuku caught the gleam in my eyes, an uncharacteristic look that it made Izuku feel a small ounce of worry. "Sure...?"

With the help of my memories in my past life and Izuku's incredible talent in analyzing quirks, we were going to pave a way on how far this ability of mine could go. We had to find out what my greatest strength and weakest link was with this newfound ability of mine that had remain hidden from me for over two years.

For the first time in a long while, I felt excited about something. Was this the same feeling most kids experienced when their quirk abilities are revealed? It probably was, and it helped me a little to better understand why Bakugō felt superior with his explosive quirk.

Besides, the fanboy wouldn't pass a chance to see something up close without being labeled as some creep or weirdo for being overly curious. Me volunteering to be Izuku's personal guinea pig probably lit fireworks in the boy's chest or something.

...

 ** _bam!_**

" _WHOA_ ~!"

The board fell flat on its back, the attack coming in too quickly that almost none of the kids could track of the outstretched fist that went flying towards the target board. Some of the kids even started clapping.

"That was so cool!"

"It went _woosh_ , and it got knocked down!"

"What a cool quirk!"

Trying not to let my ego inflate because of the praise thrown my way, I went ahead in cleaning up after myself. Tsuchiya drilled the importance of cleaning up after yourself, something dad did back home when he wanted me to clean up my room when I was old enough to do so.

It had been over a week since I first started using my newfound stretching abilities, but just like I thought, it was difficult to control. It took awhile for me to not end up with a flying fist to my face (not that it hurt, thanks to my body bouncing off whatever hard surface came hurtling my direction) or accidentally stick my fist between tree branches, but with time and plenty of practice I ended up doing much better.

Half the time dad, when he wasn't at the police department, was there to help me with my quirk; There was also other times when dad would invite Taishirō over to lend a helping hand, but most often than not, there was Izuku who was more than happy to help me with the techniques.

"That was great, Kuzan!" Izuku cheered as he came to help me clean the area. "Much better than the first time, too! You didn't punch yourself at all!"

"Shut up, dork." I huffed, giving him a light shove.

After cleaning up, we went to the next station where there was a punching bag that had a force meter attached to it which could show how powerful my punches were. Previously, before the discovery of my elastic quirk, the force of my punches came to around 329 lbs, but with my quirk, the force of my punches went higher. A simple fling of my fist measured around 412 lbs, less than a hundred pound difference, but when I threw my arm backwards and let it fling forward, the punching meter would read it to almost 700 lbs!

Bakugō was lucky to walk away with only a small concussion and a broken nose. It was quite possible that I could have accidentally killed him if my head had been thrown back a lot further before it came flying into his face.

"Whatever," speaking of which, Bakugō, who was left with light work-out to avoid hurting himself further, glared at my direction. There was still bruises surrounding his red eyes, giving him the appearance of a trash-diving raccoon. "Your quirk still can't beat mine, crybaby!"

"I hear your mouth moving, _Baka_ gō, but all I hear is _blah blah blah_."

"YOU MOTHERFU—"

"Bakugō! Stop bothering the others and get back to your work-out! You ain't done!" Tsuchiya yelled from somewhere in the background.

The rock man was peeking out of his office door where the other instructors worked when they were going through the computer or checking work schedules of their classes. Tsuchiya disappeared inside the office, going back to whatever phone call had his attention while the rest of us got back to our exercising.

The kids laughed, ignoring Bakugō's cursing outbursts as he snarled and snapped while trying to finish his work-out since he had come in a bit late (another villain attack which blocked traffic). A small curve at the corner of my lips barely made itself known but as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Even Izuku couldn't help but smile a little.

"Still," someone said. "That's a pretty great quirk! I bet that'll make you an awesome hero!"

I stilled, all good humor gone.

"Uh-huh! Katsuki and Kuzan are pretty much in the top of the class, but with Kuzan able to stretch and stuff, he can totally kick villain butt!"

"Lucky~!"

"He'll be a great hero!"

"I bet he'll be famous!"

"Isn't that cool? He'll probably have people begging to work for him!"

"My uncle works for a hero company and he says that the heroes make lots of money."

And then, "Too bad you don't got a quirk, Izuku! You could've at least became Kuzan's sidekick or something!"

From my peripheral view, I saw the way Izuku flinched at the careless words thrown at him. His hands trembled, the frustration making itself psychically known, but like all the other times, he tried to contain it by biting his bottom lip and shrink into himself. He tried to smile, all crooked and strained so the other children wouldn't notice how deeply effected he was.

Turning towards the other kids who chatted amongst themselves like spring birds chirping sweetly and naïvely to one another, I instantly cut the simple chatter with only two words that echoed the area like a gunshot in a silent night:

"Fuck that."

Their was a pause, the other kids trying to register the words before their eyes pinned on my figure. The light mood and excitement immediately melted away, an air of tension in its wake as everyone stood in awkward limbo. Meanwhile, Izuku shuffled nervously, eyes flicking back between me and the other children who stared at me no longer with admiration but wariness. Bakugō, finishing his warm-up, paused at whatever he was doing.

"Who the hell said I'd wanna be a hero?" I sneered, lips twisting like something tasted bad in my mouth.

"Jeez, Kuzan, calm down..."

I scoff. "All I keep hearing is hero _this_ and hero _that_! You lot are so engrossed in this country's propaganda that you can't see past your own damn nose!"

"Hey...!"

"No, shut up!" I snapped. "You guys talk about heroes like they're the ultimate gods or something! That being a hero is the way of life, that without them there is no life! It's so fucking pathetic hearing you guys worship them when all they do is advertise shampoo products!"

"Kuzan," Izuku grabbed my arm, trying to pull me away from my lecture. I shake him off. "Please, just stop!"

"Shut your mouth! Shut your fucking shitty mouth!" Bakugō stormed towards me, face black and thunderous. "Say one more word, and I'll fucki—"

" _No_! NO, I WON'T SHUT UP!" I barked back angrily. "THE MOST SHITTIEST THING IN TODAY'S SOCIETY... IS THAT YOU SHAME PEOPLE WITHOUT QUIRKS!"

Bakugō froze mid-step.

"WHY?!" I demanded. "Why is being quirkless suddenly a crime?! Why is someone without a quirk deemed a liability to the rest of us, that they're a waste of space, that they are better off sticking their heads in the ground while the rest of us carry like we deserve it?!"

The other kids squirmed, uncomfortable in their own skins and shoes.

"Does it make you feel better about yourself? Does it make you feel like you're on top of the world because you have something they don't?" I shook my head. "Is that what makes this society? Is that what makes a _hero_?"

I caught Bakugō's red eyes, meeting them head on with a ferocity of my own.

"If that's what it means to be a hero where you look down on everyone and treat the quirkless like trash... then I'm better off being a villain!"

With that, I turned away from the rest of the kids and explosive bastard. There was shock and a feeling of upset, the familiar smell of burning anger lingering in the air, but I didn't care to take back my words. I had enough of their constant hero worshiping, a topic that was always brought up constantly with no end (and always about the number one: All Might).

I especially had enough of everyone treating Izuku like there was something wrong with him simply for being born on the small percentage of people without quirks. I didn't care if I was also including him in shaming his admiration for heroes and All Might, but the little idiot had stuck with me through thick and thin, through the worst times of my life growing up, so it only made sense that I would have his back, too.

Besides, society deemed me a menace no thanks to the old bastard pulling the strings, so why the hell would I want to serve these assholes who've done nothing but harm me and my own? At least villains were more honest about their true characters, unlike the heroes who hid behind their stupid masks and capes.

...

It was like a flip had been switched that Bakugō and I began to drift away from each other.

Maybe my words had appalled him so much that he decided I was dangerous and therefore not worth his time, maybe it finally hammered into his head that real life wasn't as great as he once perceived it to be, maybe our time together had gone and broken his rose-tinted glasses and revealed to him what was going on since he had been too young to understand, or maybe he decided one day that he had enough of hanging around a pair of losers. Whatever the case, Bakugō no longer graced us with his presence.

It was strange; all we ever did was fight about anything and everything, but now it was too quiet without his obnoxious voice to keep me on my toes.

Probably for the best.

He and I were too different from each other, we both had viewpoints that clashed (pretty much why we argued with each other) and were too stubborn to be moved by whatever opinions we stood by.

Izuku tried to keep us glued together, constantly reaching out to "Kacchan" and fix whatever rough patch we were currently going through, but all that got him was fist-shaped bruises and charred clothes that smelled of burning charcoal.

Throughout the entire time we've known each other, not once had Bakugō actually put his hands on Izuku. Tsuchiya quickly caught on that it would not be a smart move for him to pair the two together in fights as he could easily sense the (one-sided) hostility brewing between them, therefore leaving Izuku in the care of someone not out for his blood. Perhaps my presence had an effect that made the little shit hesitate before, but now he was past verbal abuse—now he had no problem getting his hands dirty.

So engrossed he was with the ideal image of a hero, my statement must have shook him so much that he believed that was the sort of life I was aiming for: becoming a criminal. Really, I was just throwing some comparisons because most often than not, heroes were pretty much two-face hypocrites that glorified a dangerous occupation the general population seemed to forget was a hazard in their every day lives. Television always threw in the brightness and sensational events towards the public, never did they talk about the darker things that happened all around us: human trafficking, dangerous drugs spread across the streets, domestic violence, a system that could be abused to benefit whoever had the advantage.

I wasn't actually going to be some villain, I was only speaking truth on the matter that bad guys had true colors while heroes were nothing but fakes that condemned criminals for something only to end up doing it themselves. Sure, there was a lot to be grateful for when they went about saving lives, but majority of them rubbed me the wrong way. And yes, I know they were only human and that anyone with a pulse had faults surrounding them, but you'd think they would learn from it and try to be a better rather than remain forever in a time loop of repeated mistakes.

It was true that Bakugō had the drive and potential to become a great hero, as was told in the story, but his cruelty towards others, towards Izuku, was overlooked by adults and heroes alike that it made my blood boil at the intentional ignorance.

I maintained a polite distance between myself and Bakugō, not even budging when Izuku tugged on my sleeves to get me to go over and make small talk whenever we happened to be in the same hallway of the school, in the gym, or whenever our parents had get-togethers. The adults must have noticed that this was not some normal spat, that this wasn't us being brats or anything childish, that we were actually going our own separate ways, so mom and dad never forced me to come along when they were invited to hang around with Bakugō's folks and vice-versa.

The years slowly dragged on, our bodies aching from the bones and muscles that helped in spreading our growth as we got older, and our youthfulness gradually becoming mature (well, at least in my case). Unsurprisingly, I was still the tallest kid of my class, towering over Izuku like a building while the fanboy was the shortest. However, just because Izuku was small, he was by no means some scrawny guy thanks to Tsuchiya getting him to keep up with the rest of the kids in our gym class.

TOPT gym was like a second home to us, and now that we had training and work-out routines drilled in our heads, Tsuchiya dismissed our class for the final time and set us free to run amok the rest of the gym after giving a lecture on how to navigate the rest of the gym we never got to explore due to our young age.

The long track, the treadmills, ellipticals, rowers, abdominal exercisers, bench press bars, weights of various sizes, and all other sort of varieties that were invented to suit every individual's unique quirk. I saw a rock climbing area, another section in the gym where the floor tilted upwards so that people with heavy weights would struggle to climb up to get to the top, an obstacle course that looked like someone had taken a page straight out of Ninja Warrior and included it into the designs while the TOPT gym had been in construction.

On the upper floor of the gym, there looked to be an area that didn't focus on going all out with brute strength, but more about balance, swiftness, and precision: a gymnastics floor and parkour course (no wonder the running track led upwards to the second floor).

Watching the experts move around was amazing. Games like Mirror's Edge and Assassin's Creed materialized in my head, eyeing a group of adults that flipped around through the section that was modeled after buildings, parks, streets, and alleyways.

Which was why I started hanging out there rather than focusing solely on my strengthening alone. I always thought how cool it was to pull moves like back flips and rising handsprings, and running on a boring track or treadmill was too predictable. I wanted to jump around rooftops, wind myself until I sprang like an uncoiled wire, and design my own road and path with whatever urban city I ended up in.

"That makes sense," Izuku remarked as he scoped the second floor alongside me. "Not only for your body but for your quirk as well. It'll do you some good to learn how much you could get away with something as flexible."

"C'mon, you know you wanna." I herded him towards the gymnastics portion of the second floor. "It might come in handy someday."

It didn't take him much convincing as a familiar gleam made itself known in the shorter boy's eyes.

The "H" word became a taboo subject, rarely ever spoken in my presence which made me wonder if Izuku was afraid that I would taunt him for admiring them so passionately or if this was his way of respecting my wants by avoiding anything leading to the topic. In the end, it really wouldn't matter because eventually he was going to go to U.A. within a few short years, so he could do whatever the hell he wanted.

Besides, this gym was going to help him get a head-start with his own version of "hero training", it would give him an advantage over the other students competing for a spot in the classrooms. With that in mind, we both strode towards the second floor with ideas stewing inside our noggins.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Junior High became a whole other level of difficulty. It wasn't like what happened to me in the beginning or my elementary school but moreso on the problem that other kids were old enough to understand why their society was facing problems and difficulties in keeping up with other countries that were way ahead of them.

And just like that, the sheep mentality gained more and more thoughtless morons who only saw and mimicked the actions of their elders. My family and what little influence they could hold against teachers that tried to to take cheap shots at me could do nothing about the other kids at school. Seeing all the sharp eyes directed at me, I knew for sure that I was walking into a different kind of war zone.

Good thing my body was made of rubber.

An elbow jabbed sharply against the back of my head, I barely blinked at the feeling as I continued to bite down on my homemade sandwiches (I never ate food from school, or in public, people would get ideas).

"Hey!" Izuku glared at the moron behind me. "Leave him alone!"

"Don't worry," I brushed off the guy's elbow with ease. "I can't feel their pitiful punches."

"What'd you say, you—" the person sputtered angrily.

"Uh-huh, okay. Bye." I nonchalantly hum while obnoxiously eating my lunch, making all sorts of disgusting chewing noises to drown out the words. I didn't even give a shit when other kids at the table threw me ugly looks, obviously grossed out at my eating habits.

And from there it became a competition to the rest of the school: to see who could psychically hurt me.

One time, I had been surrounded by a bunch of typical-looking school thugs that wanted a piece of the "Gunnarsen Bastard", as most of the public labeled me, but their meaty fists and strong frames did nothing to me. Their impacts were absorbed and my skin bounced off their futile attacks, allowing me to walk past them like I hadn't been ganged up on.

Some of them even started to use their quirks on me, and that's when Izuku had to forcefully step in by threatening to report the illegal usage of quirks in a public place to scare the bullies off.

This backfired badly for Izuku because his actions in coming to my defense ended up painting a target on his back. The dork's close association with me gave the students another reason to pick on the quirkless kid. Bad enough that Bakugō threatened to blow up Izuku whenever they crossed paths, but now the rest of the school was gunning for the green-haired idiot.

So when the other bullies started to pour their unwelcome attention on Izuku, I gave up the apathetic act and granted them the death wish they've been longing for.

...

Several kids, some of which I was hesitant to call kids because of the fucking tattoos, piercings, and facial hair they had despite wearing junior high uniforms, madly scrambled away from the desolate parking lot with bruises, bloody noses, and a couple of sprained wrists. Their egos didn't fair better either.

"That... That was a little overkill."

"Shut up." I hissed.

Izuku spat out a small dribble of blood, dusting the dirt off his knees while shakily standing up right. There was dirt covering his whole uniform and I didn't doubt his mom was going to freak out when she learned that her baby boy got into a nasty fight with a bunch of older kids (seriously, how the hell were those guys in my age group?).

"I hope nobody saw that, otherwise you'd be in a lot of trouble." Izuku muttered as he picked up his backpack that had been thrown aside by one of the thugs. "Jeez, my stuff is everywhere."

"You fucking moron...!" I snarled, whipping towards him.

"You sound like Kacchan."

" _Shut up_!" I snapped. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Why'd you have to butt in like that, huh? Do you get some sort of sick pleasure in being beaten?! You gonna become one of those idiots who's battered by their abusive partner or something?""

"It's not like that and you know it, Kuzan!" Izuku shot back vehemently. "I wasn't gonna let what happened in elementary school happen again!"

"Guess what, you dumbass, it's gonna keep happening whether I want it to or not! That's how real life works!" I angrily grab my bag and started my trek back home. That fight had lasted a little too long and now the sun was beginning to disappear behind the tall buildings that surrounded Musutafu.

With our neighborhood just a couple of miles away, I groaned in frustration when a portion of the street appeared to be blocked off by the crowds surrounding it. Judging by how brightly decorated the building was, the cheering citizens (majority being a bunch of junior and high school students), and the paparazzi that surrounded the area, there was probably some special event happening. I tilted my head backwards, eyeing the rooftop where there was an array of colorful lights beaming, the muffled sound of music drifting in the air.

"I wonder what's going on...?" Izuku pondered out loud, curiously scoping the crowd that stood near the entrance with a red carpet rolled out.

Someone must have heard Izuku's question because a pair of girls, mean-looking I should add as I warily eyed their masks, long skirts, and wooden swords, had no trouble gushing about the event.

"Don't you know?! Pop*Step is here!"

" _Pop*Step_?!" Izuna perked up, stars in his eyes. "The vigilante?!"

"In the freakin' flesh!"

"Yeah! And I heard Present Mic would be here, too! Maybe he'll be part of the show as well!"

Having enough of the shenanigans, I roughly pushed my way through the crowd, wanting to get to the other side of block so I could get home. The sky was already getting darker and darker, and these assholes in the way were preventing me from a nice and comfy bed waiting on the other side of the crowd.

"Hey, don't push!"

I grunted as I was shoved forcefully back to where I originally started, more hands directed me until I was standing next to Izuku who just stood there like some goddamn wooden pole with eyes.

"Great. This is just perfect!" I growled.

"But don't you want to—"

"I couldn't give two shits about this shitty pom-pom and her party!" I snapped, turning away from the crowd so I could find another way around. "You wanna stick around to watch this shit, be my guest!"

Izuku looked back to crowd as a limousine pulled up to the sidewalk. The car door opened to reveal the American hero, Captain Celebrity, stepping out and smiling for the flashing cameras. With a heavy sigh, Izuku turned away from the party and hurried after the retreating back of his angry friend.

Crossing the street, I spotted an open entrance which was barely illuminated by a street lamp. It looked to be the entrance of a park, and as I spied the map near the entrance, I was relieved to find that there was an exit on the other side that was in the same direction of mine and Izuku's neighborhood. The park looked to be pretty much abandoned because of how dark it appeared, and something made me hesitate in wanting to take a step inside.

The shrill cries of joy from behind me made my blood boil, the anger pushing away the reluctance which enabled me to easily go forward with intent to get through the dark and forested park to reach to the other side.

"Unbelievable," I angrily muttered, glaring at the building who's lights penetrated through the thick branches of the trees hovering over us. "Christ, we probably could have gotten past that crowd if you hadn't gone and opened your big mouth."

"I don't regret what I did." Izuku grumbled. "I'm not sorry."

My lips curled angrily. "Aren't you just the golden knight?"

"Say what you want, but a hero would never stand by while someone was in trouble."

"Not unless that someone is me." I spat venomously. "Cut the crap and stop spewing nonsense, you're not _that_ fucking stupid."

"Kuzan...!"

"I don't wanna hear it, Izu!"

" _NO_! Maybe it's stupid to you that I love heroes, that I want to become one myself despite being quirkless, but—"

"That's not it!" I swiveled around so fast that the other boy had to stop or otherwise he'd collide into me. "That's not why I hate them!"

"Then why—?!"

"Because these people aren't worth saving, Izu!" I shouted, throwing an arm towards the direction of the illuminated building with pulsing music coming from the rooftop. "They don't deserve to be saved!"

"... What?" Izuku stared at me, deeply puzzled by my words.

I run angry fingers through my hair, my teeth grinding together that it almost hurt.

" _I believe you_." I hiss, forcing the words out. "I believe you when you say you want to be a hero... I just don't understand why you would want to after everything that's happened to you! All society's ever done is shit on you, ignored you in favor of the kids with the most promising and brilliant futures ahead of them because of their damn quirks!"

"Kuzan," I could hear the sadness, could _feel_ the cold sapping away Izuku's warmth. "I want to be the kind of hero who could make people smile. Like All Might."

"All Might?" a cruel snort escapes my mouth. "That guy is the biggest joke of them all."

With that bitter note, I turned around and continued onward into the dark forest with only dim street lights to illuminate the path. A heavy silence followed, and after a few seconds of walking alone, a pair of footsteps trailed after me.

And then—someone appeared.

And then there was running.

An̢d̟̕ ͉͎̝̜̱̘th̷͓̱e͉͢n̬͔͘ ̜̭͍͔̻̻ͅt̯̻̗͖h͈̺̳̞e͈̼̘̝͍͓̻r͡e̡̪ ̵̩̦͚ẃ̜a͔͎̹͓͎̟̬͞s̫̯̲̠̙̀ ̖̞̮̱̩͓͍f̵̱̥͎̥e̤͔̤͎̰̮̬a̠͖͎̼͍̦̺ṛ

A̶̭͉̻̬̰̦̹͐̄͗̊͆̒̅͌̕n̖͖̙̣͈̱͉̅̆̾̿̒̿͢͝d͇͇̼̟̤̱̠͔͓͌̾͋́̀͛́̈́́ t̷̛̥̟͍̘̪̐͒̇̍ȟ̴̡̢͇͔͙͑̌̄̃̋̈́̆͞é̵̳͔̮̙͕̥͚̿̀̏̆͑̚͞ń̦̼̜̻̯̮͒̔̓̋͑͘̕͡ t̵̢̧̫͕͙̯͚̭̐̎͊͆́͢͜h̶̡̼͚̻̩̒̊͋̆́̎͢͝e͎̙̪̙͖̐̅̾͑͑̀̀͠ŗ̵̢͈͔̱̖̩͈̲̈́̈̔͆̔̀̂̀̚e̯̠̝̞͇͂́̊̄̐͛̿̚ w̳̣̦̲͊̋̀̇͜͝a̧̧̢̩̰̮̗͚̔̍̃̔͌̓͟š̛̫̰͙͍̘̣͎͆͐̅̅͂͆̕͟ͅ—

 **.**

 **.**

Ả̴̖̪̰̜͕̎̾͗͑̋͜͢͡͠l̸̗̦̺͚̥̲̭̭̯̃͆͒̃̓̀̓̋̚̕ơ̷̞͍͔̠̪̖̫̥̪͛̅͛͂n̷̦͙͕͎̪̹̝̞̥̎̏̊͆̈́̍̚͠ġ̻̪̤͈̻̻̑͂́̃͐͂̑̄͟ͅ č̱͓̞̟̯͍͇͖̩̆͂̐̓͂͢͝ą̢̖̙͍̠̯͆̇̓̋̓̚̕m̸̲̥͚̰̮̀̋͐́̃͊͠͝ͅȩ̡̲̩̜̳̰̩̅̍̍̌́́͌ a̵̡̲̱̺̭͂̉̿̔̊͂͆̈́͗͡ s͇̫̹͔͕͖̿͂͊͆̓̄̈͜͟͝ṱ̵͙̰̞̝̫̿̉̅̒͢͞r̷̢͇̤̩̫͎͚̈͆̎̄̄̃̕a̷͎̫̜̪̙̽̅̍̆͛̈́́̍̆͟͞ņ̶̯̯̼͈̳̪͌̿̍̀̇̕͘͞g̷̱̺̹̰͕̤͔͔̖͌̒͌̓͋e͓͖̹̫̭͉̲̼͋͋̒̃͗͘r̼͚̝͔͖͙̟̺̋͆́̽̈̉ ã̵̧͖͓̻̜̎̒̍͌́͟͟͜͝n̢̛̯͍̥̺̣̩̓̿͂͛ͅḑ̨̯̫̘̪̳͚̙̃̐͌̊̾ͅ ǎ̴̢̼̜̮̺̃͒̑͐̿̚ẃ̷̠̠̠̰͐͗̽͟͠a̵̡̱͇͍̠̩̠̪̬͐̒̌̆̂͞ͅÿ̴̙̯͕̞̥͎̗͎̂͛͊̓́͗̑͗ w̱̲̠͎̪̝͛̓̽̎̉̍͆̐ͅę̵̰̺͇̻̖͖̆̊̏̚͝n̡̥̳̣̆̊͐͐͗̓̓͟ţ̸̨̨̛̗͕̪̪̝̦̭͛̊̀͛͑͡ ã̶̦̠̞̘̼̐͑̂̒̏̐͝͝ f̴̫̮̤͙̞̎͐̂̑̍̎̄͗̃r̨̧͍̦̹̝͎͖͖̔́̑͗̈i̛͖͎͕̬͖̹̼̓̃͆̎̃͑͜ḙ̮͉̺̝̄͋̀̆͠n̴̛͍̱͓͈̗̹̒̑̏̉͞d̞̟̜̰͍̟̩͕̾͌͌͂̓͢

 **.**

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* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The dark memories brought forth into the light made me wish I never woke up. I remembered. In that moment, every detail of the day from when I was in school towards the moment at the park came rushing back to me.

The upper class delinquents who picked a fight with Izuku, the blood that covered my scarred knuckles after beating one mean mofo off of the smaller boy, the yankee crowd that cheered for Pop*Step's songs and Captain Celebrity's contributions, the scathing words I said to Izuku, the dark forest that belonged to the park.

And the man.

The man who... who—

"Izu."

What I saw couldn't be real, I thought with a heavy breath. What happened in the park, it had to be a lie. Because what happened in the park didn't happen in the story. The story I remembered showed a boy who wanted to be a hero get picked by his all time favorite: All Might. The story where Izuku would go to that stupid school, meet stupid people, fight stupid villains, grow into a stupid person...

Dad stared at me and I stared back at him.

Please tell me it was a bad dream, my eyes screamed at him, please tell me what happened didn't actually happen. Please tell me there was an accident. Please tell me some idiot got a lucky hit and took me down. Please tell me some hero accidentally hit me with their quirk and was probably giving a speech about how sorry he was but really wasn't once he found out who I was.

Please tell me anything but not the one I want to hear.

Dad inhaled slowly. I tried, oh did I try, to block out the sound of his rapidly beating heart.

"I'm sorry."

I stared at him, unable to comprehend the words for a long while.

"No." I whispered, slowly shaking my head. "No."

"Kuzan... I'm so sorry."

"Where is he?" I looked around the room while trying to sniff out Izuku's scent (fresh paper, ink, katsudon). All I could smell was more disinfection, vomit, and blood.

"Kuzan," dad pleaded with me, his tone gentle as he reached for my shoulders. "Listen to me—"

"Where is he?!" I demanded, roughly pushing dad's hands away from me. "Where the _fuck_ is he?!"

"Kuzan...!" dad barely choked out my name.

The smell of moisture and salt started to thicken around his presence. No, I wanted to shake my head, dad was not crying. Why was it so hard for him to tell me what I wanted to know? There was no need for him to start fucking crying. No. Just no.

"I'm sorry—"

"Izu! _IZU_!" I cried, angry at the tears that were beginning to form at the rim of my eyes. "WHERE'S IZU! _WHERE IS HE_?!"

The door opened but I couldn't give any fucks at who the hell came inside the room, too busy demanding for answers dad couldn't tell me. I wanted dad to stop crying, I wanted to rip the I.V. needle off my wrist, I wanted to get out of this room and this damn hospital, but most of all I wanted Izuku.

More hands joined in, forcing me back down as I writhed and struggled and fought against them. There was an embrace, my parents surrounding me and using their double weight to keep me from squirming, suffocating me.

"IZU!" I continued to scream at the of my lungs. " _IZUUUUUU_!"

Eventually, all my screams and struggling turned into cries and weak tugs, leaving me as a pathetic sobbing mess between my parents' arms. Izuku's lacking presence further cemented the dread I felt since waking up; the truth, I found, made the rest of the world a lot more darker, leaving me to struggle in the new nightmarish reality where there was no longer a familiar figure standing with me.

The story I once thought of as an epic fairy tale with a happy ending shattered right before my eyes that night. It was a memory forever imprinted in my mind, every waking moment becoming a constant reminder of the aching absence I felt for many years to come.

A world where there was no longer a boy waiting for his destiny to claim him.

* * *

TOPT aka Toyo's One-Punch Training gym is a play on the initials of Tokyo's One Piece Tower alongside a hint of One-Punch Man.

Tsuchiya Iwakuma - His name means "Earthen House" and "Shadow from a large Rock". His quirk is basically super strength.


	7. Chapter I: Smile

**A/N:** Hi guys. A lot of you were left in a state of shock and absolute horror (your reviews and guest messages tell me that much), and most of you are hoping that what you read was wrongly interpreted, that your eyes must be playing tricks on you, that whatever unseen event happened in the park that sent Kuzan to the hospital could not, cannot, happen to the precious treasure that is Midoriya Izuku.

If that is the case, then I apologize in advance for what you're about to read. To confirm the worst of your fears: yes, Izuku is _dead_.

 _ **Sandman001,**_ You sound like I haven't thought of this direction through, but I did actually. I've been planning this for two months as I was plotting how to make this story more unique than anyone has ever read in this side of the fandom, I've been imagining carefully how things could change the further the story continued on while researching carefully through the manga and anime. So please, don't mistake me as someone who doesn't know what they're doing because I know what I'm planning for while typing the future chapters of "CHAOTIC". Whatever concerns of the future of BN/MHA you have, I insist you read this chapter before you lose hope.

 _ **KyuubiNoPuma,**_ The question of Izuku's demise will remain a mystery until it is exposed in a later arc. There will be hints thrown here and there leading up to the reveal, so bear with it while you can!

 _ **supercomicreader421,**_ Yeah, Sengoku Kuzan is based off of One Piece! Lol! I just love the story and Luffy so much, I had to have him here (sort of)!

 ** _Prince,_** You're so stubborn! LOL!

 _ **Droyenes Uzushaki,**_ Wow. It's like this guy didn't bother to read the story as a whole, or understand the conflict between the citizens and the family, or despite Kuzan's technically older age that he too could succumb to doubts and anger for being socially stigmatized from the fault of his asshole grandfather, or that his douchebag behavior stems from seeing the unfair treatment he endures from adults and children alike while also witnessing Izuku getting put down for simply being quirkless. C'mon dude, actually read the fic in front of you instead of _skimming_ it!

To everyone else who are hesitant to read furthermore because you can't read a fic where there is no cinnamon bun son to guide the way, you best click the backwards button and find somewhere else because Izuku has officially been axed and therefore the canon story has diverged off the rails completely (not that it hasn't already *cough* Aksel Gunnarsen *cough*). If you're brave enough to continue, then please remember to leave reviews! Thank you and here's another chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

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 **Chapter I: Part I**

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* * *

I stared at the paper sheet on my desk.

A woman with silver shaggy hair and teal-framed glasses walked across the room with a number of papers to pass to the first row of students so they could hand it down backwards until everyone had the forms in their hands. Seeing her students reading the forms, she returned to her desk at the front of the classroom while calling to their attention with a simple snap of her wooden ruler.

"You're all third years now, so please consider these future career forms that were distributed to you carefully." Kawaki-sensei droned dully to the rest of the class, her aquamarine eyes narrowed when the volume in the class rose. "Settle down!"

"I'm definitely shooting for one of the hero schools!"

"With your quirk? What are you gonna do: spit on them?"

"Sh-shut up!"

"You losers wouldn't last one day in the hero field!"

"Your quirk isn't any better, Kamitsuku-kun!"

"I'm gonna be famous and make lots of money!"

"I wanna get all the hotties!"

"I said _SETTLE DOWN_!" Kawaki-sensei roared, slapping the ruler to her desk more harshly so the students would snap to attention as their excitement was allowing their quirks to get a little out of hand. The sharp snap of wood made the other kids jerk before quieting down.

Pushing the paper out of the way, I pulled out my notes to review over before the teacher would throw a pop quiz at us. Kawaki-sensei was sadistic like that, torturing her students with quizzes and trivia to keep everyone on their toes since the rest of the school faculty kind of gave up on educating their students. And when observed the school, you could understand why teachers were so negligent with their students.

Jakku Junior High was a school full of losers and delinquents.

"Sengoku, pass your form up please." Kawaki-sensei ordered, noticing my lack of participation.

Forking it over, I ignored the other students who didn't hide in peeking at my blank form; the teens snort, causing another commotion for Kawaki-sensei to get angry as she struggled to get the class under control. I felt bad for the teacher, graduating out of college only to be dumped in this garbage school that clearly had little to no restraint on the student body that made asses of themselves.

"What school did Sengoku pick?"

"No school! _Hah_! Not like anybody would accept him!"

"Ain't he suppose to be smart or somethin'?"

"Thinks he's so better than the rest of us."

"He can eat shit and go die."

"Pathetic."

"Bastard."

"Weakling."

The earbuds and music helped me concentrate on my work, tunes and melodies that belonged from times ages ago giving me a sense of nostalgia as I read, write, and work on my assignment from another class. There was still so much movement going on, too much noise to contain, so maybe today Kawaki-sensei will forget the quiz and focus on scaring the shit out of the other students.

Besides, I had enough time to look for a school that would take me in. The staff didn't have to like me or be my friend, they simply needed to look at my nice test scores and tolerate for the next three years of my high school before booting me out.

Yep. All the time in the world.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 ** _shove!_**

My body was forcefully shoved aside by a bunch of girls in masks who were heading their way towards the entrance of the school. One huge girl who looked to be made completely out of some mineral (Topaz? Peridot?) gave me a dirty look from over her bulky shoulder.

"Outta the way, bastard."

I blinked lazily at her.

With a click of her tongue, she returned her attention to the front and followed the rest of her little rag-tag group of wannabe thugs, gossiping to each other of who they plan on having a street fight with (a neighboring school probably).

Like every other day since I enrolled in Jakku Junior High, I had to take care of my belongings and make sure they weren't taken by the sticky hands of other students who were eager to spread my stuff across the establishment. My desk was covered in carvings of death threats, permanent markers unable to erase ugly and awful words meant for me and my parents. But unlike all the other times where I reacted angrily, where I felt the blood boil in me like a volcano about to erupt or two plates about make the earth rumble as they shifted, I just stared at it and felt absolutely nothing.

Just another day.

"Move it, Sen _gaki_!" another random guy snapped in my ear, brushing by me despite there being enough space for him to move around me easily enough.

More shoves, more threats, more people wanting to take their frustrations and anger out on me, and more days of where I blocked everything out with my playlist and earbuds while the rest of the world rushed on like there was no time to wait for tomorrow.

It was difficult for me to understand: what was the rush? It was just going to be another day with the same old routine, nothing exciting happened outside of the usual villain attack and petty crimes that littered all over the cityscape. So really, what was there to look forward to anyway?

Checking the time on my phone, and a couple of messages from my folks and cousin, I headed out to waste a few more hours into the public before I had to return home where mom promised to make spaghetti and meatballs.

Food was food, my taste buds practically dead in my mouth that all there was to do was stuff my face, chew it into little bits, and swallow it down. There was no flavor, no bite, no kick, no flair when I ate my meals nowadays, sort of reflecting how I felt about everything else in general.

Crossing several street blocks, ignoring the bustle of the pedestrians that crowded the sidewalk, and taking care to avoid a pesky trio of idiots that were a general nuisance by snatching people's undergarments and flashing themselves with no shame, I easily made my way to the usual spot I started to hang out after school.

It was by the river that ran through the city until it disappeared into the ocean.

Removing my backpack, I settled down on the grassy earth and relaxed. Music continued to play in my ears, helping me drift further away from the now and back to the places I missed from then.

Wouldn't it be so easy, I thought to myself, if I could close my eyes and never wake back up again?

 _'If only.'_

I found it hard to get up out of bed even though most of time I didn't feel like sleeping, only my body remained tired, to slow to work while my mind was hyperactive than ever. Thoughts drifted in and out of my head, a movie left on repeat of a certain scene that refused to leave me alone.

With my backpack serving as a pillow (stuffed with journals and text books), I closed my eyes and succumbed to the emptiness that became a familiar to my mind. A hiding place only I could ever enter, a place where it got difficult for me to leave as the years went by.

Gentle lyrics swayed me further away into the dark.

 _Where have you been?_  
 _Been searching all along_  
 _Came facing twilight on and on_  
 _Without a clue_  
 _Without a sign_  
 _Without grasping yet_  
 _The real question to be asked_  
 _Where have I been?_

...

"Do you want some more sauce?"

"No."

"Toboe was asking about you. She says she misses your chicken salad sandwiches."

"Mm."

"... A new season of your favorite show is on. Want to watch it with me?"

"Maybe later."

I finished my spaghetti and meatballs, removing myself from the table so I could carry my dish (along with a few other plates) to the sink so I could rinse the sauce off the plates then tuck it into the dishwasher machine. All the while my actions were tracked by my parents, both of whom were still struggling with the change and lack of enthusiasm when it came to family matters.

Back then, it had been difficult because I was struggling with coming to grips that there was a world that despised me for being a physical representation of a lost opportunity, that Aksel Gunnarsen spat in their faces because one of their own citizens screwed it up when they went and married his daughter who was meant for someone else (like she was a trophy to be handed out to whoever won the lottery). That had been bad but manageable thanks to the handful of people who looked past the vendetta, who offered support, who helped me rein back the anger and directed it into something helpful and healthy.

But then something happened and everything changed completely. Something went and froze everything inside, becoming a block of ice that wasn't going to melt anytime soon, driving away the warmth that used to be there. After what happened, I quit my membership in the TOPT gym and never stepped foot in the establishment again. But it didn't stop there.

I enrolled into another school from Orudera Junior High, cut off all connections and ties with everyone else, ignored Bakugō and his little gang like they weren't in the same plain of existence as my own, avoided talking about what happened with my family because talking didn't matter (talking won't fix it), and altogether stopped caring about anything beyond.

To sum it all, I had nothing better to do and I was alright with that.

All the more for me to spend time focusing on homework and fuck everything else beyond that point. Food was food, television sitcoms will regurgitate the same formula, people will come and go, and the world was going to keep on spinning.

That was life.

Mumbling a goodnight to my parents, I climbed the stairs towards my bedroom where it was already dark (I already finished homework, so I left the light switch off with the intent to sleep after dinner).

Exchanging the wrinkled uniform for a short-sleeved red T-shirt and dark shots, I roll into bed and stare tiredly at the ceiling. There was glow-in-the-dark stickers scattered across the surface above, all stickers formed together to create constellations like the Little Dipper or Orion.

Izuku had been laughing like crazy, cheeks red from grinning so much, as we struggled to stick the stars to the ceiling. Dad held us up while Bakugō directed me and Izuku on where to stick the stars to recreate the constellations. The little shit would yell when one of us, or both, got it all wrong and demanded we be set down so he could use dad as the ladder and fix our "crappy-looking" star formations.

My eyes scrunched closed, willing for the memory to go away. Thinking about it was painful for me, and I didn't want to hurt anymore; it was better to forget everything, to let it all die so I could not feel a thing when I went away from this damn place. I once overhead mom and dad talking about moving again, most likely to America because nobody had a beef with us in the West.

Another fresh start with no past to haunt us.

Reaching for the radio that was propped on my nightstand, I accidentally tipped over something that had also been standing on the surface. With a sigh, I reach down in the dark to pick it back up and settle whatever it was on the small stand.

I stopped.

A limited edition All Might action figure grinned up at me.

I had forgotten all about this thing, I thought as I stared at it. The room had been getting dusty and I did some spring cleaning (it used to be a time where I gave in to the urge to move my furniture around because I liked to try something new to my bedroom, driving dad crazy sometimes because the guy was all about setting up stuff once and leaving it there for all eternity).

This led to me pulling out some junk from my closet, cleaning my sneakers and dress shoes from the collection of dust bunny that had gathered, and sometimes I would find things that had been hidden way in the back.

Like Izuku's box.

 _"Don't you want to go?"_

 _The day had been bright, not a single cloud in the sky._

 _The afternoon sky dyed itself orange and pink as the sun continued to recede, hiding itself from the rest of the world just like I was. Dad was standing at the door but I wasn't facing him, more interested in staring at the wall and wondering why the hell was the world painted the wrong color when it should be dark and cold rather than beautiful and warm._

 _"If we go now, we can still make it."_

 _It should be raining. It should be pouring. We should all be drowning by now._

 _"Would you at least want to say goodbye to him?"_

 _Goodbye? This wasn't a goodbye._

 _This was the end._

The All Might figure sat atop my nightstand once more. I didn't want to go through the trouble of digging my stuff out so I could disorganize it all over my room, tripping over stuff the next day because I was too tired to put it back, so better to leave it for now and work it out the next day after school.

Turning the dials on the radio with the quiet and soothing playlist from my phone, I lay back down on bed and stare up at the ceiling. Slowly, as slumber started to take hold, my view drifted to the side where the last thing I could see was All Might's smiling face.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Kuzan darling? _Kuzan_!"

I jerked in my sleep, blinking blearily while moving to rub the crust from my eyes. The first thing I noticed was that my room was bright the sunshine filtering inside my room through the window blinds, second was that it was quiet with the exception of movement coming from outside my bedroom, and third being—

"Shit," I mumble as I look at the time from my phone.

I was going to be late if I didn't hurry up. Clicking my tongue, I only change in my black uniform without removing my band T-shirt, simply throwing the blazer over it and grabbing my backpack. I've rarely ever been late for school since I relied on my phone's alarm clock to wake me up, so there must have been a glitch or an emergency announcement notification that canceled the alarm. Whatever the reason, it didn't matter because I had to go.

"Hey, don't forget your—" dad started to say but I cut him off.

"Later!" I said, not wanting to stop for chit-chat. "I'm gonna be late for school."

Though I regretted it immediately because it could have saved me from crossing paths with Bakugō, the guy I hadn't quite seen up close and personal for almost two years. I wasn't the only one startled by each other's unexpected appearance, the shorter boy almost tripping over his damn feet when his red gaze fell on me. However, he quickly gained his composure by slouching forward in a familiar manner I had seen the punks at school pull off, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and throwing me the dirtiest look he could muster.

"The fuck you looking at!" he snapped at me then quickly hurried towards his destination... which happened to be in the same direction I was going. Usually, I was up early and out of the neighborhood to avoid this very situation, but with my alarm clock failing to wake me up, I had to endure the mishap for the time being.

Without a word, I stepped out from the front gate and followed the other boy.

Checking my phone, I did a little investigating while using my senses to warn me if I was about to bump into someone without looking. Thumb flicking across the screen and rolling it up and down through the apps, I discovered the cause of my silent alarm clock.

" _OI_! Quit following me!" barked the explosive teen, but his harsh words were easy to ignore.

Damn thing went through an update that it shut the power off to reboot itself, killing my alarm clock in the process therefore causing a domino effect of bad karma to fall upon my tired shoulders. Funny, I thought to myself. This whole thing kind of seemed familiar to me but I couldn't put my finger on why it seemed so.

An angry growl reverberated from in front of me.

"Dammit, don't you have anything better to do?! Stop stalking me!"

Coming closer to the point where we would be going our separate ways, I felt relieved. But just as I was coming to the close, I suddenly noticed the cars that were going different directions rather than traveling through the main street.

"No, no, no..." I muttered, stepping closer to see.

But sure enough, the road was blocked by police cars that kept everyone from going through the street's direction. Officers were also blocking people from walking through, citing that there was a villain on the loose with heroes working quickly to taking care of the problem so that traffic could resume.

I had to go to school another way.

" _Fuck_."

"Hah! Better hurry before they mark you tardy!" Bakugō laughed, having so much fun in my dilemma.

Ignoring him, I hurry past the street and towards the next block where I could hopefully pass through without anymore delay. I was seriously going to be late to school and I didn't want to get a lecture from the teachers. They expected their students to have at least a couple of contingency plans to avoid situations like this because students who were known to dick around often used this excuse to come late to class.

Yeah, so I had to hurry or else Kawaki-sensei was going to chew my ear off.

"Don't walk in front of me, dipshit!"

By Thor's Hammer did I need to kick my ass in gear and hurry the hell up if only to be rid of Bakugō's presence. Things had been calm and cool before we stumbled upon each other without meaning to, and now he was throwing death threats at me like I hadn't cut him out from my life.

Even from this distance, I could hear the thunderous voice and feel the concrete tremble beneath my heels. I couldn't stop the tired groan from escaping me, knowing full well what would be waiting in the next block.

The people crowding the space were a bunch of morons who stopped to take pictures, ignoring the police that were warning them to keep a distance from the attack going on in front of them. A villain with a gigantification quirk was pinned on a bridge, surrounded by several heroes who were doing their best to keep him in place while someone with a stronger quirk would come along to pop the sucker so that the police could cuff him and cart the dude off to jail.

Their plan of action of standing by while waiting for the big guns was seriously going to come back and bite them in the ass if they continued to depend on it, something of which made the beginnings of a sneer creep up on my lips; why become a hero if you, or a whole group, can't take down one guy?

I saw a couple taking a selfie with the villain in the background who was roaring, screaming at the men and women to leave him alone.

"What happened?"

"The guy stole a purse and tried to make a run for it when he was being pursued, so when he found himself getting cornered, the villain panicked and—"

"Are you serious?! What a waste of a good quirk."

The occurrence of a fight breaking out in the public streets was frighteningly common that there was barely a soul who felt no ounce of fear when close by the scene of a villain attack. Not only that, I noted dryly, but the onlookers were having a blast by watching the heroes work, wanting to get a closer look and take pictures of the people in tights that they've seen in the media.

There was something seriously wrong with these people. They treated the situation like some show, cheering and laughing as the giant villain swung his arms angrily, not even thinking about how things could go deadly if the big-nosed giant suddenly grabbed a nearby billboard from atop a building and threw it at the crowd, killing numerous and leaving many others injured.

It was downright sickening. And then there was this odd wiggling in the back of my eyes, like the giant and heroes were telling me something I should know but I couldn't name the answer because it was stuck at the tip of my tongue...

"Look! It's Kamui Woods!"

Sure enough, a guy that could be Senju Hashirama's relative while wearing an acorn-shaped helmet came into the scene, wooden branches surrounding the area to keep people from getting hurt in case the giant started a rampage that threw debris around. At least the Kamui guy was smart to do so, everyone else was too busy annoying the giant to really do anything about the crowd below.

Some bulky dude with caution signs on his costume was playing traffic director, telling pedestrians to move along while some other hero in a fireman suit used his hydrokinesis to block people from getting closer since the officers couldn't contain the crowd by themselves. And suddenly the giant was lashing his arms out at the wannabe Mokujin, roaring angrily while the hero maneuvered stylishly like he was performing to impress the judges. Looking back at the screeching fangirls who cried out his hero name, I suspected I wasn't too far from the truth.

"C'mon already." Bakugō grumbled, and I almost forgot he was even here with me. "Take him out."

"That idiot's too busy monologuing at the giant to do it." I muttered, eyes drifting towards a tall building where I easily spotted another hero.

And like I predicted, someone stepped in and took out the giant villain.

What better way to take out someone with a gigantification quirk than someone with a much bigger and superior form of said quirk?

"Huh." Bakugō blinked, taking in the scene.

A giant woman in a skin tight costume and horned mask waved at her adoring fans, not ashamed at all for the photographers aiming their lenses at her curvy "assets". The ash blond boy snorted, turning towards his companion but stopped short to find no one occupying the space next to him.

Red eyes looking around, he quickly spotted my retreating back as I ran to quickly get to the other side. A couple of cops yelled at me but they were thankfully more focused on keeping an eye on any more pedestrians who were surging to go and bother the heroes. Besides, they caught the villain, no need to hold up traffic any longer.

Bakugō silently stared after me until I disappeared in the sea of people swarming the other end of the street.

...

In the end, I got lectured by Kawaki-sensei.

Today's rocky morning started to creep along the further the day dragged on. I tripped over my shoelaces twice without someone there to push me down (an invisible quirk at work?), I somehow got tasked by a teacher to go in the school's basement to gather supplies because he was too scared to go down himself (when I went down, I understood why: it looked more like the setting of a serial killer's base of operations), and most importantly, to make the day even more tragic, I forgot my lunch.

Now I understood why mom and dad were trying to get my attention when I had been leaving the house.

My stomach protested loudly.

"Shut up." I sighed, staring at nothing from the class window while everyone else was enjoying their own lunches.

"Ah?" someone from nearby sneered. It sounded like Kamitsuku, this pompadour-wielding idiot that thought himself really tough for going against someone who wasn't interested in fighting back. "Who the hell you talkin' to, Sengoku? You got somethin' to say, you little shit?!"

Like always, he went ignored.

A chair scraped noisily on the floorboards.

Kamitsuku's shadow fell over me, back curving over to appear in this aggressive pose I had seen Bakugō pull off countless times and this morning. His hands were in his pockets while his sneering face invaded my personal bubble. Sharp teeth clacked dangerously close to one side of my ears, and I finally gave in the urge to stare Kamitsuku in the eyes. Orange clashed with sea-foam green orbs, one bored while the other expressed anger.

"I said: do you got somethin' to say to me, you little bastard?!" demanded the thug.

A faint inhale made me scrunch my nose in disgust.

"Get a breath mint." I said, pulling my head as far away as I could without resorting to my quirk.

There was a pause.

"THE FUCK DID YOU—?!"

"Holy shit, he actually talked back to Kamitsuku!"

"Sengoku just signed his death warrant!"

My desk was violently flipped over, removing the physical buffer between me and the ridiculous school thug who grabbed me by the lapels of my uniform and yanked me so that I was on my feet. I easily stood taller than him, creating a ridiculous image that the smaller bully was trying to look menacing to his victim when said victim was staring down at him with an air of nonchalance.

It pissed off Kamitsuku further when a few students snickering quietly at the sight, but instead of turning to others and screaming at them to mind their own business, he went for the next best thing: attacking me.

Kinetic energy was absorbed when his fist came in contact with my cheek, and the absorbed energy immediately bounced it off like nothing.

"Rubber piece o' shit!" Kamitsuku yelled. "GO DIE!"

"Kamitsuku Sanzoku! Cease your actions at once or I'll march you straight into the principal's office!" Kawaki-sensei snapped at the doorway she barged in from. "You want to be suspended so you can stick around another year in middle school?!"

"Like I give a rats ass about school!" Kamitsuku shouted, shaking my limp body easily. "Besides, I was teaching this pathetic excuse of a bastard a lesson!"

"I SAID," Kawaki-sensei took a menacing step forward, her hand raised where a blue glow began to illuminate from her fingertips. "LET. HIM. GO!"

Kawaki-sensei's quirk was draining out the water from a person's body, leaving them weak and dehydrated that their thirst would overwhelm them or they'd pass out from exhaustion. Quirks were prohibited from public usage, but in a school like Jakku, you either had to be the top dog, get thick skin, or forget the rules and scare people back into line.

The silver-haired teacher really deserved better than being stuck in a crap school like this, she shouldn't have to step in every time a fight broke out because the other faculty members were too scared to control these students themselves (or found the task too troublesome and left it at that), but she did all the same. Even for someone like me.

Why did my problems always drag down undeserving victims? This streak of bad luck sure liked to pop up in the worst times, and I wished Kawaki-sensei was one of those people who hated me so that way she didn't have to deal with this bullshit that was tiring her out.

With one last shove from Kamitsuku, the other boy stalks back to his group and sits back down behind his desk, propping his feet on the surface. I grab my desk and put it back on its wobbly feet, pulling my chair so I could sit back down and pretend I wasn't assaulted for the nth time this week. Kawaki-sensei glared at the whole class before announcing lunch time was over and that class was assume within a few minutes.

The mention of lunch made my stomach gurgle again. I groaned quietly, thumping my head against my desk.

Only a few more hours until school released the students.

Tuning out everyone's voices, I carefully sneaked my phone from my bag to see the update on the fight that took place in Tatooin Station in case the authorities decided to close off the area due to property damage. The big-nosed criminal was shrunken down to decent size while restrained by specially-made cuffs and clamps that kept him utterly immobilized while also preventing him from using his quirk. His mouth was completely gagged, looking more like an angry dog than a person.

On the front page of the news was an image of the new heroine who was just making her debut, Mt. Lady. She was waving at the cameras, preening and basking under the spotlight while the background grainy image of Kamui Woods showed him sulking in his sad little corner of gloom.

There was no doubt in my mind dad was going to be busy at work, paperwork and transfer schedules to go through to ensure the safe arrival of the villain when they had the guy registered, processed, and then dumped into a special prison; it wouldn't be Tartarus though, that prison was reserved for the worst kind of criminals. Resources had to go to the special big house in order to keep anything and everything sealed tight, and thank goodness the prison had several outside support from other places willing to lend a hand to keep the most heinous inside.

The old vulture was a bastard, but Aksel Gunnarsen wasn't foolish enough to cease giving support to the prison systems the world needed to keep the dangerous contained. It wasn't much but it was enough to keep Tartarus, along with several other prisons scattered across the country, well equipped and highly secured.

With that bleak thought pushed aside, I scrolled down and read a few paragraphs before finally shutting the screen off and returning it to its rightful place in my backpack's pocket. Kawaki-sensei was going over the test we would be taking tomorrow, telling us to study our asses off. Her advise was ignored by majority of the students, yet she pretended to not see the lack of enthusiasm and forged on.

Thinking about dad had my thoughts wander towards mom. Would her schedule be also busy because of the villain attack? Nobody got hurt besides the big dude, but maybe the ruckus he caused might have disturbed others and created a ripple of unease around the city which might have led to several accidents?

A sigh escaped me, trying to shake off that particular train I refused to go along with. The last thing I wanted to think about was actions and consequences.

 _'So hungry...'_ I tiredly blinked, staring at the clock pinned above the classroom's entrance.

Just a few more hours.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Vending machine junk food was the way to go to get some easy food.

That was unless you had the change for it.

" _Ugghh_!" I groaned again, head falling backwards to point heavenward. "Motherfucking...!"

There was no question about who the culprit was, the fault on my missing currency laid directly at Kamitsuku Sanzoku's feet. The guy had a quirk that helped him snatch small objects from unsuspecting victims, and despite the effort of Kawaki-sensei, the jerk always made off with stolen money jingling inside his fat pockets.

I could already see this guy becoming a criminal because of his damn quirk, so I won't be surprised if he ends up on the criminal watch list that aired every now and then to keep the public updated and vigilant on the streets.

Back to my problem...

 _ **gurgle...**_

"Damn it," I cursed again.

I was so hungry that I forwent the usual routine where I headed to the river bank to take some power naps before returning to the house to work on my assignments, eat dinner (with or without my parents), and then crash in my bed. Checking my phone to make sure that it was set up and wouldn't pull another stunt like die and reboot itself for another update, I noticed one of my apps giving an alert.

Probably another hero broadcast or something; it was an app automatically installed in every phone that, much to my chagrin, couldn't be disabled. The app was a notification of the biggest news trends that focused on the pro heroes and dangerous villains. I could look at it later after I got something to fill my still grumbling stomach, I wasn't all that interested in reading gossip pretending to be an official media source that recycled the same garbage like an unlimited time loop.

Taking a quick shortcut to my neighborhood, I ducked into a shaded bridge then winced immediately as my nose was assaulted with all sorts of nasty odors filtering through the tunnel.

"Aw, gross."

Odin's beard, the smell made me momentarily forget my hunger! It smelled like someone had taken a huge dump, smelled it and then died, becoming the source of a dead carcass smell. It was probably a dead dog or cat since a couple of strays were known to wander around the area.

The hunger returned with such a force my damn organ gave a loud noise of protest that it echoed noisily inside the dark tunnel. Quickly lowering my nose and taste sense which in turn heightened my eyesight, hearing, and touch sense, I continued through the tunnel.

"Bad enough I had to wake up late and bump into that idiot, but then I get a lecture for my tardiness, play fucking janitor to a creepy basement, have my money stolen so I wouldn't be able to buy something to _eat_ , and now I'm probably close to losing whatever contents I have in my stomach because of this awful stench? Can this day get any worse?"

I was being rhetorical at that moment, so I wasn't expecting an answer.

But I got one anyway.

"Oh, it's about to."

 _'What the—?'_ peeking over my shoulder, I found the owner of the voice.

And the source of the horrible odor.

A mass of putrid sludge emerged from the manhole I had seconds ago stepped over, building and growing until a blob with a pair of muddy eyes stared back at me. Like a deer caught in the headlights, I stood there with my brain malfunctioned at the sight of the sludge creature.

Not only that, but something was awfully familiar about the blob of shit-smelling goo. It was like an itch that refused to die down and give me respite, digging deeper into the surface of my skin, screeching for acknowledgement because where in the world have I seen this guy before?

And when I thought about it some more, I recalled how today's event at Tatooin Station left me with the same sense of déjà vu that morning. The answer still eluded me, dangling it in front of my eyes then yanking it away before I could even properly consider the idea.

"How perfect!" gurgled the sludge creature who's voice broke me out of my internal struggling. "A walking meatsuit for me to hide in."

Wait, what the fuck was I _doing_?! Red flags that had been blaring in the background were now blasting at full volume in my ears, signalling that I should turn and run like hell was on my heels. If not for his indication to do something horrible to me, I should have taken off the moment he creepily appeared from the manhole inside an empty tunnel where it was only him and I occupying the shadowed space.

The gruesome teeth smiled wickedly just as my foot scraped across the gravel path to make a run for the opening. The glob lunged towards me.

Even as I kept track of the movement with my eyes, my reaction was too slow due to the neglect of not keeping in shape after I had stopped attending the gym some years back. I probably couldn't have gotten far even if I made it to the other end of tunnel considering the street was kind of deserted; either way, I was screwed.

I ended up getting swallowed whole before I could take the chance to make a run for it.

Any attempts to scream failed miserably because I was too busy choking on the disgusting gunk that was forcing itself down my throat and up my nose, blocking the airway while my body struggled uselessly against the fluid prison. Trying to fight against something you couldn't really touch as it slipped through your hands, lungs burning furiously from inside, vision becoming blurry from the lack of oxygen supplying the brain, and the rest of your body gradually shutting down to signal your incoming death, suffocating to death was pure unadulterated torture.

"You're a life saver, kid! I was getting desperate trying to get away from that bastard, but then here you are! It's like luck was offering you to me! I couldn't have gotten away with you, thanks a bunch!"

If being accidentally killed was bad, being murdered was so much worse.

" _Krgh_!" I choked, wanting more than anything to puke the shit back out.

My tongue and nose were deeply assaulted by the awful taste, making it so much worse when I could pretty much identify all sorts of things mixed up with the sludge. My lungs started to fill up with the gunk, more of it invading deep inside me as the seconds went by. Precious seconds of my life slipping away, the world suddenly too slow that I wished the bastard would just be quick about it rather than take his sweet time on killing me.

The worst kind of death, in my opinion, was the kind the was drawn out.

"Hush now, boy. It'll only take a few more seconds and the pain'll be over, I promise."

Darkness started to edge along my vision with ink blots steadily drawing closer to the middle which would have me stare into the infinite nothing as my body became sluggish and weak, all the while my brain would feel as though it were a balloon about to pop from the mounting pressure it was fighting against. My eyes fluttered closed, not wanting to see the menacing eyes of my murder as they watched me become nothing but a cold corpse.

Ǐ̽̆̊̽̊̿͏̹͙̯̥̹t̜ͫ͊̔̓̀'̄ͯ͟ͅs̰̯̮̰̪̒̀ ̶̯͍̼̬́̀̆͋̒̌͆ő̦͇͕͆̑k̛ͣͣ̑̈́a̞͔͐ͤ̈́̓y͈̦͉̬̤̖̕

Everything _he_ did for an asshole like me—

Ì̸̢̬̞͔̜̮͕'҉͚̦͙̩̦̻͎͍̠m̵̸̹͍̲̻̮̺ͅͅ—̢̣͓̠̞̫̼̯͟͞

I wasn't worth it.

Tears had fallen because of the gag reflex of having something shoved down the back of your throat and further down, but now that I was facing an end to everything, I couldn't help but think back on all that had happened since I had been born.

I remembered the holidays I spent with my whole family before being driven away by the old bastard, I remembered meeting new people and discovering differences between then and now (from America, to Norway, and Japan), and I remembered all the hardships I faced besides my parents and those close to me. Sticks and stones, bruises and blood, blame and shame, and the scars hidden in my heart.

But most of all, I could never forget that night in the park where everything changed and nothing was the same for me and everyone else. The hospital to which I had woken up alone and injured, the police officials who filtered in and out as they took their turns to poke and prod at me, the lack of action that followed, the forceful silence which trailed after everyone.

The wails of a grieving mother who's world ended when she realized her one and only child was _dead_.

 _'I wasn't worth it, Izu.'_

A boy who had fought against the mockery, abuse, and denial to achieve his dreams of becoming an extraordinary hero, gone.

His hopes, his wishes, his passion and inspiration, dead and buried with him.

And it was all. My. Fault.

No longer willing to fight against the inevitable, against the agony of losing my air, I suffered through the seconds to let it all claim my life. The world was unfair to begin with, so much more after what happened to Izuku, so why cling on to a life I never deserved to have?

"Almost there..." gurgled the monster in a perverse manner reminding me of a mother whispering sweet nothings in her child's ears.

 ** _Clang!_**

I jerked at the sudden sound, my darkening vision hazy but locking onto a figure that stood at the far side of the tunnel from where I had entered. The person, whoever it was, almost took up the entire entrance with their wide berth and height.

"It's alright, young man. Have no fear!"

Somehow, even as everything was fading and growing darker, I was able to hear the stranger standing at the entrance of the tunnel. His voice was deep like the kind of bass set low by the DJ so that the listeners could actually feel their bones reverberate from deep within themselves at the mere sound alone. His voice was like thunder, lightening streaking across the dark sky before rumbling afterwards to announce his arrival.

But more than that, I heard of this voice before.

" _I am here_!"

Oh.

"No, no, NO!"

Th stranger approaching us—

" _Texas_... **SMASH**!"

I remembered.

Gales of wind not unlike the hurricanes which people saw as nature's declaration of power blew all around me and the glob. My would-be murderer's voice screeched something, but the high velocity of air current prevented me from catching a word. And suddenly an explosion of liquid finally released me from my imprisonment, all of it scattered messily into the wind like rain made of sewage gunk.

Caught up in the massive whirlwind, and my body too weak without oxygen because of the gunk still clogging up my throat, I would have also been sent flying had it not been for the large hand that caught my scrawny wrist.

No longer trapped by the insidious goop of crap slime, my body immediately started to hack away the shit from my lungs and mouth. The person holding me hastened the process by lacing together his fingers to form a fist above my abdomen and started to squeeze me. In a few short seconds, the disgusting ooze became a messy puddle of glob and vomit, but my puking session wasn't over.

The rancid smell and taste had me coughing it all up, whatever contents were in my stomach went spewing out before my sneakers. I was spitting saliva, wanting to get rid of the horrid aftertaste and crap that threatened to shrivel up my nose and kill my taste buds.

"There you go, you man. You're alright. Here, wash it out with this!"

A water bottle was shoved into my face which I clumsily scrambled to take, popping the top and guzzling it in my mouth so I could gurgle and spit it all back out. The person holding me slowly released me, but they immediately caught my arm when my noodle legs couldn't hold me up.

"Whoa there! Take it easy, young man!" the jovial voice cautioned as he held me upright.

Once he made sure I wasn't going to fall over if he left me to lean against a nearby brick wall surface by myself, my rescuer pulled away so that I had room to rinse my mouth and spit out the god-awful smell and taste lingering in my mouth without the threat of ruining anyone's shoes.

"Sorry 'bout that, young man! I don't usually make mistakes such as dragging innocent civilians into a fight with villains, but considering that I'm navigating in a strange land I've just arrived in not too long ago, I was of course having a little trouble catching our slippery fiend!"

All Might was right in front of me, standing tall with his smile shining like a lighthouse beacon from how bright the sunlight reflected on the man's pearly whites. His iconic antenna-like bangs and ferocious smile was so hard to miss in a crowd that it was no wonder his presence made the world melt away until he was the only thing at the center of attention.

The number one hero then threw back his head and gave a booming laugh.

The sound made me wince almost in pain because of how fake it was, I could almost _feel_ the plastic touch of the noise. My memories were murky at best, but I remembered All Might was badly injured, and it was shown with how hollowed out his insides sounded, could almost hear the strain of his breath and smell the heavy amount of sickness and blood coming off of him. Not to mention the heat brimming from his body like a high fever eating away his strength the longer he stood there.

It was a pathetic sight. Like some creature clawing to keep the last bits of its strength before it was snuffed out by nature.

And yet All Might treated it like it was nothing, like he wasn't being pushed closer and closer towards the edge of the cliff the more villains continued their onslaught without giving the Pro hero time to rest.

The whole thing left me staring at him in total disbelief. Here I was still shaking from the left over adrenaline from my close brush with death and now I was listening to the fool laugh like there wasn't a countdown hanging over his head.

"What is _wrong_ with you?"

I hadn't meant to say it out loud, but either way All Might heard it all the same. The corners of his plastic smile receded and his heavy brows scrunched in what I could see was confusion. The man was used to hearing so much praise that my harsh words, no matter how little, seemed to have slapped the bigger man like it was a physical blow to his chiseled face. Like a shark sensing blood in the water, I forged on.

"There are sick bastards out there that wish you'd drop dead, that want to murder you with every fiber of their being, that will do anything to destroy you no matter the cost, and all you do is smile like a goddamn peacock! Do you live your life not caring about that?! A-are you indestructible or something?! Is that what it is?!"

The Pro hero whom I've seen occasionally on television juggle the media like it was a circus act, making wise crack jokes to bring out smiles and laughter from the audience, was suddenly rendered into silence. His mouth opened a few times but the words he wanted to say would not come.

"I don't get you! Why do you keep smiling when you're outnumbered against people who want to tear you apart?! I mean...!" the more I talked, the more I thought about it, my chest constricted into something tight like I was once against being deprived of precious air. "Why can't you think about yourself for once in your life, you fucking maniac?!"

Ǐ̽̆̊̽̊̿͏̹͙̯̥̹t̜ͫ͊̔̓̀'̄ͯ͟ͅs̰̯̮̰̪̒̀ ̶̯͍̼̬́̀̆͋̒̌͆ő̦͇͕͆̑k̛ͣͣ̑̈́a̞͔͐ͤ̈́̓y͈̦͉̬̤̖̕

"Aren't you scared to die...?"

A sob wanted to escape from the back my throat, along with the tears, so I had to close a hand over my mouth and shut my eyes tightly enough to push it all back. Why the hell was I about to cry? Crying about stuff never helped; all crying ever did was remind me how pathetic and powerless I felt because I had someone's blood on my hands.

I wanted to stop with the waterworks, but the hurt followed me. It attacked me every day as I continued to remember the night and days which dogged my steps after the incident.

The last thing I expected was a heavy hand to gently rest on my shoulder, and I almost jumped out of my own skin from the touch. Outside my family, being touched by a stranger who held no contempt was as rare as a blue moon since a majority of them would not waste an opportunity to hurt me. Public transportation's were perfect examples for getting elbowed in the face, gut, ribs, and spine. School, on the other hand, was treated on the grounds of fair game.

Furiously wiping away the wetness from my eyes, I used the excuse to not look up at the hero who loomed over me with surprisingly gentleness which contradicted his powerful and hulking physique.

"Young man," came the soft rumble of the Pro hero's voice. "I'd be very stupid not to feel fear."

Face dry, my hand pulls away from my face. I still don't look up.

"Like any other person, I am frightened of the things that could hurt and kill me, but then," All Might paused, his voice hushed like he was admitting something he never told anyone else. "I look around and I see people living in fear. There was no peace but chaos, and life was living under heavy oppression. So that's why I smile, young man. I want trick the fear I have inside because no matter how scared I feel, I'm more afraid of a world where no one knows how to live freely with a smile on their face."

Ǐ̽̆̊̽̊̿͏̹͙̯̥̹t̜ͫ͊̔̓̀'̄ͯ͟ͅs̰̯̮̰̪̒̀ ̶̯͍̼̬́̀̆͋̒̌͆ő̦͇͕͆̑k̛ͣͣ̑̈́a̞͔͐ͤ̈́̓y͈̦͉̬̤̖̕

I stood there, staring at my shoes as his words sunk in.

The fear, anger, and frustration I felt faded into numbness. All Might stepped away from me and suddenly cursed under his breath when he realized the sludge monster was no longer with us. Blinking out of the stupor I was in, I looked around the empty road where I last saw the murderous glob splattered all around the empty space.

"Oh dear! I must be on my way, young man! Please take care!" All Might announced, voice back to his usual booming volume as he prepared to leap off into the distance.

"East."

"Hm?" the man peeked over his shoulder.

"His stench." I tapped my nose before pointing at the direction of the foul smell the bastard slipped off towards while we were distracted. "He's heading towards the shopping district. You better hurry."

And for a spit second, his eyes and mine clashed; electric blue that flashed like lightning itself and sharp tangerine orbs with a sour hint met one another before I forced myself to look away and not keep the hero any longer. I could feel his skin almost burning to the point where he might end up emitting smoke.

"Thank you."

And with that, All Might took off—eastward.

...

People parted like the Red Sea as I walked down the path, pinching their noses to avoid the abhorrent smell coming off my clothes and breath. But my hygiene was the least of my concerns.

I didn't know what to think about that exchange. Had anyone else been in my shoes they would have not hesitated to pounce, seizing the opportunity to get an autograph and picture of All Might to later gush about it online to the Pro hero's fanbase.

Maybe in another time, I would have felt something about meeting a famous celebrity (or another canon character, depending on how one looked at it). Now though, when I stood before the larger-than-life hero, all I could think was how Izuku would have fainted at first then scrambled to get the big guy's autograph.

And that's where it all came down to it.

Izuku should have been the one standing here in my shoes; he should have been the one to have met All Might and earn himself the approval of said hero. Their meeting kick-started the entire story into motion.

But there was no Izuku.

Instead, all I did was cuss out at All Might, distracted him from properly arresting the murderous sludge fuck, and then sent him on his merry way without so much as a thank you for rescuing me.

I felt sick.

 _'All you do is fuck up everything.'_ I kicked a random pebble into a nearby puddle. _'Why aren't YOU the one six feet under?'_

 _ **boom!**_

Pausing from taking another step, I was made aware of my surroundings while noting how people were either walking away or heading towards a certain direction. Another villain attack was the obvious conclusion. The smart thing to do was follow the people that were leaving the area—

 ** _Boom!_**

And yet something about the explosions tugged at me with a sense of dreadful familiarity, causing me to falter at taking another step. I was normally cautious, not some idiot like the crowds that were running towards the place where a clash was most likely taking place, but somehow my feet stayed rooted to the pavement. It was hard to miss the black plume of smoke rising from where the central market plaza was.

The direction where I pointed the sludge monster would be most likely heading towards.

Again, instinct and memory were screaming at me, two choices at war with one another. I stood in the middle of the sidewalk, ignoring the pedestrians that walked around me like a flowing river around a stubborn rock. What should I do? Where should I go?

 _ **BOOM!**_

Again, without meaning to, my body moved on its own. Swallowing back the bile that threatened to rise up my throat again, I followed the smoke and explosions which led me to where a crowd was gathering at the entrance of a narrow street.

What I saw was absolute chaos.

The place was set ablaze, the injured and trapped screaming frantically to avoid the licking flames as a small group of heroes hurried in collecting them to relocate them in a safe location. The hydrokinesis hero I saw from early that morning on the way to school was hosing down infernos threatening to go wild, trying to keep the damage to a minimum. On the other side of the street that was also blocked by another crowd watching the entire scene, the giant lady from earlier couldn't fit into the narrow space.

 _'Jesus Christ.'_

"What happened?"

"A villain started attacking!"

"He even took some middle school student as a hostage!"

 _ **KA-BOOOM!**_

There it was again, the explosion that didn't come from a detonated bomb. Looking past the sea of clamoring heads, beyond the fire blazing and wrecked stands and shops of the street, a massive thing stood in the middle of it all.

It was the sewage bastard from earlier. His bulbous eyes had an unhinged mirth to it, cackling in that sick voice of his as he easily swatted away a hero when he tried to sucker punch him, but all their fist did was get wet with sewage gunk from the villain's fluid body.

"Dammit!" the hero shouted as he was tossed away. "I can't do anything with my fists!"

What.

"I can't do anything to help you guys! My hands are already full here until the fire department arrives!"

 _What_.

"Fire is my weakness! I can't help you!"

 _WHAT_.

"We need a hero with the right quirk!"

Do these people even hear themselves? Was their skin tight suits cutting off the circulation of their brains? How could these so-called heroes be unable to take care of the problem themselves? There was more than enough of them, each one with a quirk that was suppose to help out with the rescuing, and yet they've taken one look at the situation and declared it a lost cause.

"Wasn't All Might chasing after that guy?" some lady in the crowd asked out loud, pointing at the sludge monster.

"What's he doing in a time like this?"

"Where's All Might?!"

Why did everything that went wrong needed to be fixed by one man? He was just that: one person! You couldn't actually expect to leave EVERYTHING on his shoulders, the guy needed to rest and do other important shit. Dammit, that's what the other heroes were for! And yet, to my horrifying astonishment, even the heroes themselves were asking for a miracle!

Why weren't these people doing anything?

The glob villain moved, laughing as he started to turn towards the crowd.

Why wasn't anyone doing anything?

There was someone struggling, stuck like they were part of the sick waterfall of sewage dump.

Why were people standing here and watching this like it was another episode of their daily lives?

Frightened red eyes caught my own.

Ǐ̽̆̊̽̊̿͏̹͙̯̥̹t̜ͫ͊̔̓̀'̄ͯ͟ͅs̰̯̮̰̪̒̀ ̶̯͍̼̬́̀̆͋̒̌͆ő̦͇͕͆̑k̛ͣͣ̑̈́a̞͔͐ͤ̈́̓y͈̦͉̬̤̖̕

If God had any sense of humor, it'd be the morbid kind.

Throwing the past at my face so I could remember what was ripped from my own two hands and what I let slip through my fingers while lost in the throes of grief. The images from before started to merge with the present, forcing me to once again bear witness to the slow torture of helplessness. Like ghosts haunting me, wailing in my ears as they dug their phantom fingers into my scarred arm and hands, reminding me over and over how pathetic I was.

One scene taken from the dark hours where one boy was violently deprived of his life while another was of a different boy who was treated like a plaything in broad daylight where no one was stepping in to do more.

Everyone stood like an audience watching a play unfold, doing nothing as a child gagged and choked into the waste using him like some sort of perverse puppet to do utmost damage before the slimy bastard did him in.

Villains that had nothing to lose were the most dangerous, especially when they were cornered. In their mindset: if they were going to go down, they were going to drag down whoever was closest with them.

 _I couldn't move. I was scared out of my mind._

 _It's why Izuku didn't run when he should have._

Before it even caught up to my brain, before I could see what was happening, before I could even realize what the hell I was doing—I was running towards Bakugō.

"HEY!"

"STOP! WHAT ARE YOU _DOING_?!"

"THAT KID'S SUICIDAL!"

Still unsure, still running towards the danger, still seeing the chaos all around me, I kept my eyes locked on Bakugō. The little ash blond bastard that cussed me out, who liked to make fun of me because he thought he made me cry once, who always challenged me at the gym, who talked about wanting to be a hero like All Might, who was one of the guys brave enough to stick around when everyone started to understand who I was.

Who was one of the guys that attended the funeral while I hid away from the world in shame.

I was not going let history repeat itself.

I'd be damned before I let anyone whom I've known for a long ass time die right in front of me again!

"You again?" the sludge bastard warbled in surprise, but then his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Get lost, brat! I found a better meatsuit than you!"

"HE'LL KILL YOU!" someone shouted from behind me.

Better the person who wasn't suppose to exist than the guy who had a lot to live for.

"Gomu Gomu no...!" I wind both my arms backwards, still running towards the sludge monster that raised a single slimy tentacle in preparation to blow me away with a single swing, so I had to act fast before he did. " _GATLING_!"

Unleashing my fists, my limbs flew forward and started to bash against the sludge while avoiding where Bakugō was buried. At first the attack did nothing, however the more I continued, the more my arms appeared to have multiplied which increased the effect of recreating how All Might's single blow made the villain disperse like an exploding water balloon. The hero with the strength quirk had only two hands, but my arms acted like multiple people attacking the villain all at once.

"WHAT THE— _OI_! STOP! I CAN'T SEE! _GODDAMMIT_!"

I was getting closer, my attacks having a stronger effect as the gap between us lessened. A portion of the gunk that covered the lower half of Bakugō's face fell back as it tried to cover up the loss of mass the villain was losing. The teen gasped, inhaling the air greedily then went back to choking on the gunk still stuck in his throat.

 _'Hold on,'_ I was getting closer. _'Just a little more...!'_

" _RAAUUUGGH_!" the glob bastard bellowed, angry as hell. "DON'T MESS WITH ME!"

Whatever he wanted to do, whatever his retaliation was, I didn't care because Bakugō was no longer as wrapped up with the sludge as he was before. With the window of opportunity unveiled to me, I stopped my Gatling attack and dove forward, body-slamming the boy with my arms tightly wrapped around his waist and removing him from the gunk holding his arms and legs.

We both crashed into the tables and chairs of what looked to be a little café shop, objects toppled over from our collision. I immediately lifted myself off of Bakugō's back when he started to cough.

"YOU LITTLE BASTARD!"

My head whipped towards the villain who menacingly approached us. Acting quickly, I grabbed Bakugō by the scruff of his uniform and pulled him back to his feet. A glance towards the exit of the narrow street saw that we were cornered, guard rails and fallen tables preventing an escape from the villain.

"I'm going to kill you first before I get my hands on that brat!" hissed the monstrous sludge who started to expand, growing bigger as he came closer.

In my arms, the other boy wasn't composed enough to fight back. He was still light-headed from the lack of air, still unable to move probably because of the trembling he was experiencing of almost being strangled, drowning in the disgusting sea of muck and garbage.

With the sludge bastard about to attack, to murder, it was that moment where most would automatically go for the flight mode: flee for their lives.

Ǐ̽̆̊̽̊̿͏̹͙̯̥̹t̜ͫ͊̔̓̀'̄ͯ͟ͅs̰̯̮̰̪̒̀ ̶̯͍̼̬́̀̆͋̒̌͆ő̦͇͕͆̑k̛ͣͣ̑̈́a̞͔͐ͤ̈́̓y͈̦͉̬̤̖̕

Feet rooted to the spot with one arm wrapped around Bakugō, I pulled back my lips and gave the shit-faced glob a feral snarl.

"You want him?! Then you're gonna have to pry him outta my _COLD DEAD HANDS_!"

The glob lunged forward, spreading himself out like a sickly-looking sky that was about to rain down on us. I twisted my arm, intent on launching it forward to unleash a powerful blow aimed for the weakest part of the sludge bastard so that Bakugō and I could escape through it.

Just as I was about to unleash my corkscrewed arm on the villain, a presence appeared from nearly out of nowhere.

The smell of blood, sickness, along with the sound of something being nearly hollowed out from the inside, made me stop from unleashing an attack on the sludge villain. A broad arm appeared, wrapping around Bakugō and myself in a protective manner.

The villain looked as startled as I felt, trying to pull himself back but the momentum of his mass prevented him from doing so, leaving him to fly towards All Might who was waiting for him with a fist ready to blow the bastard away for good.

"Sorry for my tardiness, young man! I just couldn't help but admire you from afar!" All Might grinned down at me, teeth soaked with blood.

God, he was burning up, I thought with astonished eyes growing like saucers as I took him in. I could almost see the steam coming off of his shoulders and arms, but from the sheer force of willpower he had, he remained like the mountain he was and turned his attention on the villain that had been causing everyone so much grief.

I almost wished he didn't step in. I almost wished that he had stayed out of the fight because this was obviously taking a toll on him, that him staying in his hulking frame was going to bite him in the ass later on. But I was glad all the same to see him come and lend a hand when no one else seemed bothered to do so, more busy gawking and lamenting about their unsuitable quirks.

"DETROIT..."

I ducked my head, pulling Bakugō's down with me to provide some cover for the burst of power that was about to explode all around us once All Might's fist made contact. This one was probably going to be bigger than the first one I had seen him pull off earlier when he destroyed the villain's body in order to remove him completely without hurting me in the process.

" _ **SMASH**_!"

It was like standing in the middle of the storm where it was at its strongest. I couldn't hear beyond the howling, could only clutch onto All Might's arm and Bakugō's uniform as our legs lost our footing that they ended up waving wildly like a pair of flags billowing against the strong gusts of wind. I even thought I saw Mount Lady barely able to keep the spectators safe from the wind pressure.

The attack quickly ceased, leaving everyone with wind blown hair and frazzled-looking expressions.

On shaky legs, Bakugō and I were released by All Might. The ash blond boy blinked, taking in everything while wiping at his dirty mouth that made me wish I had a bottle of water with me.

I did the next best thing and grabbed a fallen chair so I could push him into it, hoping that him sitting down would help him gain his composure, spit out the nasty aftertaste while putting his respiratory system to working order. He was probably going to have to visit the hospital later to remove any residue left behind by the villain to avoid unsanitary infections the disgusting glob might have given him.

 _ **drip**_

I blinked.

 _ **drip drip**_

"Huh?"

I touched my nose and felt moisture. My nose even picked up the scent of ozone as dark clouds began to gather in the sky.

"It's raining?"

"No way...!"

"The air pressure from All Might's attack changed the air current!"

"Dude! All Might totally made it rain with his punch!"

"He changed the weather!"

Brushing away the wet drops hanging on the lashes of my eyes, I was surprised to find All Might still standing close by. Even more surprising was the fact that he was staring directly at me, bright blue eyes illuminated from the obscured shadows beneath his thick brows. When he finally locked on my unmistakably familiar tangerine orbs, the recognition was immediate since everyone else could easily trace it back as the common Gunnarsen family feature.

Even after knowing who's family I came from, his expression remained as it was: open and welcome.

A sense of calm overcame everything, drowning the noise and blurring the motions of the rest of the world. We stood under the drizzling rain, clothes gradually absorbing the tiny raindrops and water dripping from the edges of our nose and chins. It was a moment where I kind of felt like I was standing in a world of my own with only the number one hero to keep me company.

At last, All Might motioned to say something to break the quiet—

" _YOU_!" a hand harshly grabbed me from behind, twirling me around to face the angry-looking hero covered in caution stripes. "What is the matter with you?! You can't just go running into danger like that!"

"Young man, you could have been taken hostage! Or worse, you could have been killed!" the acorn-headed man, Kamui or whatever, stepped in beside the bigger male. "Your interference was unnecessary!"

Maybe it was the adrenaline still left in me, but their words made my blood boil. Their actions, or lack thereof, was still fresh in my mind as I had watched them scramble around like a flock of headless chickens.

"So you were okay with watching him die?"

Both heroes froze. They were expecting a sobbing and apologetic mess, not an accusation of their incompetence thrown at their faces.

"Excuse me?"

"I said: you were okay with your thumbs up your asses while he was being strangled right in front of you?" I barked at them. "What? Did you forget how to use your damn brains and come up with a better plan besides wait for the next guy to come along?!"

"Hey! That's no way to talk to your elders!" the guy in the bird mask and goggles admonished. When he took in my face, his lips curled in that familiar way I had seen others do. "Not that I should find that surprising considering who _you_ are."

"Shut your fucking cunt mouth, I ain't done talking!" I snarled vehemently, surprising the heroes. I pointed at the crowd beyond them. "Why didn't you clear off this area completely? You could have pushed that bastard so that the giant lady could've taken him! Why did you let those stupid fucks stand there and block the entire place while they were taking goddamn selfies?!"

Said "stupid fucks" almost immediately reacted. Their expressions turning outrageous and angry, shouting out abuse. With a sharp inhale to my lungs, I turned towards them and bellowed out for all to hear.

"DOES WATCHING SOMEONE DIE EXCITE YOU SICK FUCKERS?!" I screamed at the mass of gawking onlookers. "DOES GETTING IT ALL ON LIVESTREAM OR UPLOADING IT INTO YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT MAKE YOU FEEL COOL?!"

It was like some giant that was not Mount Lady had slapped them all at once in the face. If there was one way to describe the expression on every spectator, it was that they looked like a school of gaping fishes that had been dumped on dry land. They quickly recovered and went back to shouting, wanting to dish out their disdain for me rather than face up to the fact that they had been indeed cheering, recording, and watching as a child had been choking on slime crap.

"You need to go," the bird man grabbed my arm. "Your parents will be notified."

I ripped my arm from his hold, whirling around to shove him away and watch him fall back on his ass.

"Fuck you! You all were crying out for someone to come in and save your asses! You guys are suppose to be fucking heroes for God's sake!" I yelled. "I saw so many things you could have done, so many ways you could have apprehended this bastard as quickly as possible, but no...! I saw you panic while someone was drowning in that glob, and all of you stood there and fucking watched...!"

"You think you could've done better?!" bird mask demanded angrily.

" _I just did_." I hissed at him.

It's like the entire thing slipped from everyone's memory when I had been the only one to run in, use my quirk, and yank Bakugō from the sludge villain's hold.

My next words I hoped would drive a message into their thick skulls. I pointed towards the quiet number one hero who had watched the argument go back and forth like a tennis match. He was fretting nervously between the heroes and me, wondering if maybe he should butt in so it wouldn't escalate into a fight or allow me to say my piece.

"This man," I pointed at All Might. "He's not gonna be around forever. He's not immortal. He's not a God. He sure as hell ain't gonna be your wishing star to bring you a miracle when you need it most. He's a human being, and even humans have expiration dates!"

I paused, wiping away the rain that started to get into my eyes. Surprisingly, no one said anything. Not the popular acorn, not the giant road sign, not the asshole bird, and not even the number one himself.

"Is that how you guys are gonna continue? You gonna cry out for All Might to save you when the going gets tough?" I asked them. "You gonna still cry for help when he's long gone?"

Not to my surprise, they had nothing to combat against my cold hard truth.

Nodding my head, I turned away from them. "That's why I thought."

Ignoring the orders to remain, I walked away. Thankfully, nobody stopped me and I was allowed to go my own way and just in time, too. A group of reporters elbowed their way through the crowd and I ignore them in favor of shoving through them to get out.

The people were still angry at my accusations, but I could tell some were affected by my words as they appeared to duck their heads when I came close, but everyone else continued to spit nasty words which were easily ignored as I easily shoved them away from my path without any effort on my part.

There was the sensation of someone watching me but I ignored that, too.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

It was getting close to late afternoon.

I still hadn't gone home yet. Looking at my phone and seeing the explosions of text and voice messages left in the inbox, I didn't have to wonder if mom and dad were made aware of what transpired. Someone at the scene must have tipped my dad off over what happened, or a cameraman from the mob of reporters wanting to get a word from All Might must have caught my face and broadcasted it on live television.

Or maybe Bakugō told his mom who in turn told _my_ mom.

A heavy exhale passed my lips, kicking at a couple of rocks on my path as I trekked on.

 _"You can't just go running into danger like that!"_

 _"Your interference was unnecessary!"_

 _"You think you could've done better?!"_

Angry fingers scratched at the back of my hair while my mouth curled like it had once again forced to swallow that shit gunk. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth, just thinking back on the heroes and angry crowd made me want to punch something!

I would have stayed out of it. I wasn't going to be _that_ idiot who charged in all half cock, all noble and self-righteous and shit. There was plenty of people who had a Messiah-complex a mile wide and it didn't need another in their ranks. I was fine with letting heroes do their thing and taking care of the problem, knowing that it wouldn't affect me if I walked by.

But it did affect me.

Because Bakugō was there.

And he was crying as his mouth was stuffed with villain glob, inhaling it accidentally as he tried to _breathe_. I knew from seeing him in that vulnerable moment that I couldn't stand there and watch like everyone else; I had to get him so he could continue to breathe.

Sure, I was going to face some hell with my folks... but at least that little shit would find his parents waiting for him, relieved that their son made it back home.

"Hey!"

The hint of copper followed by a shit immune system drifted easily through the breeze. I registered the scent before gradually slowing to a stop when the owner of the smell came to mind to which I looked back from where it was coming from.

All Might.

"Thought I lost you there," greeted the hero. "Took a little bit of looking around, but I finally caught up to you!"

What the hell was I suppose to say? Why was he even here?

"You here to lecture me...?" I mumbled, unsure of his presence.

Once he was close enough to be two arm lengths away from me, he stopped and scoped the area out. Without meaning to, I wandered back to the river I usually hung out at, the setting sun creating glitters on the choppy river's surface. Beyond the river was a row of houses, a neighborhood area separated from the noise and bustling of the downtown streets. To my surprise, the area was kind of empty of any passing pedestrians.

"Ha ha ha!" he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck in a boyish manner that looked in character to his manners rather than appeasing to the media. "I think we all had enough lectures for one day, don't you think?"

True.

I looked past him and back to where we came from, almost two hours from the area that was blown up and wrecked by the sludge monster. Looking at the man in front of me, I could feel the heat coming off him like an open pot of bubbling soup.

"Aren't you tired? You should head back home." I said, giving him a way out so he wouldn't have to struggle to find an excuse to leave.

"How thoughtful! Despite your potty mouth, you're a very kind person Sengoku-kun!" All Might exclaimed, looking pleased as peach.

 _Ah_ , now that I was cool as a cucumber, I felt awful for cussing out at him. But I snapped out of the thought when I realized he said my name, not the awful title "Gunnarsen Bastard" the public bestowed on me. A lot of people knew who my father was, but _EVERYONE_ knew exactly who my mother was almost upon first glance.

"I met your father when he came to collect young Bakugō." All Might explained when he caught my puzzled expression. "Your father was very worried about you! I'm even certain your mother is at her wits end thinking about how her son is fairing. You ought to contact them soon if you haven't already!"

Could All Might get anymore genuine than that? There was nothing plastic about his concern for me; I was suddenly hit with a vision of freshly baked cinnamon buns that were the right amount of warm and sweet I swore I could almost feel the toothache just from imagining it.

With a weak wave of my arm, I just gestured to myself.

"I'm okay."

"Really." All Might cocked a heavy brow, crossing his arms.

The heroes, the villain, Bakugō... it was all I could think about. Not just that, but about the park, Izuku, the hospital, Izuku, the police, Izuku, Midoriya Inko breaking down when the news was delivered. I thought about watching as everyone else was, imagined seeing Bakugō's red eyes folding backwards as the lack of oxygen finally gave out from the suffocation, the people recording it all and posting it up on the internet, the news reaching to his family, his mother crying, another funeral to prepare, another invitation that I would refuse to open, another day where the sky was blue and the clouds moved along.

"I was scared."

The large man bent down, hands resting on his knees as his head was lowered to my height.

"He looked so scared. I've known him for most of my life, and I've never seen him look like that." I poked at the buttons of my uniform. "One time I came close to attacking him because I was angry, like really angry, and I scared him. But that moment in the street, where he was half eaten by that sludge monster, he looked so... so scared out of his _mind_."

A hum of acknowledgement came from the bigger male.

"You were frightened. Not because it was your life you were afraid of, but more so that of young Bakugō's."

"... Everyone just stood there and watched." I said quietly. "The heroes could have done everything and anything, but all they did was cry about how their quirks weren't good enough for the job. And the people, with their cameras and...!"

No nudging, no urging, just a whole lot of patience from a man who was running out of time.

"They treat it like it's a game to them, swear to God!" I hiss angrily. "They put themselves in danger, crowding entrances and exits, making it hard for the heroes to concentrate on their jobs because they want to get a good picture to show off to their friends or something."

"It is troublesome to see civilians not run from the danger but rather back towards it." All Might agreed, looking regretful.

The man may have put everyone in society at ease thanks to his duty to protect us all, but that shouldn't have been turned into an open invitation by the other millions who admired him to stick around in dangerous situations just because he and/or other heroes happened to be in the same area. There was absolutely no excuse for people to go looking for trouble because they were curious about how cool it would look if they watched a few minutes of the fight up close, not at all caring that they risked becoming another number of the casualty statistics.

Feeling bold, I looked into the shadows of All Might's eyes.

"I... I don't know how to _smile_ after something like that. I wasn't expecting gratitude, or a pat on the back, but I just wish people would back the hell off just because I'm—" I cut myself off, feeling exhausted at the thought of bringing up my personal issues. Besides, All Might had better shit to do than stick around and talk. "I'm heading home. Sorry."

I pulled away from the space between us and turned to go.

There was no point in sharing any more with someone I doubted I'd see again after today.

"Sengoku-kun."

 _ **Ssshhhzzz...**_

The heat came off in waves, rolling out that I could see the steam pushing around my legs as it spread to slowly evaporate in the breeze. Staring at it, a familiar little itch came nudging in the back my head.

I didn't ignore it this time.

All Might was no longer standing on the sidewalk.

Standing there was a thin and sickly-looking man with sunken eyes that widened the shadows of his eyes, features becoming sharper and bony with knobby elbows that held in bird-like bones, and his hair frayed out with bangs framing his angular face. It looked like it took some effort for him to keep his saggy shirt from slipping off one side of his thin shoulders and keeping his baggy pants from sliding down his non-existent waist.

The steam dissipated, leaving me and the stranger alone in the wide open.

He could have left. I gave him plenty of opportunities to go rather than keep him from fleeing to hide his feeble-looking form from the rest of the world that didn't give a damn about his privacy.

"Sengoku-kun," I almost flinched at hearing him speak. It sounded just as weak as the rest of him.

"W-why...?" I stared at him, shocked that he was revealing this to me. _To_ _me_!

"Because," All Might rasped as he pulled up his shirt to reveal the ghastly, twisted scar he hid. "I'm getting close to my expiration date."

A dawning realization clicked into place by the puzzle pieces; watching me, seeking me out, remaining despite the timer on his quirk, the answer was coming clearer to me despite wanting to deny the possibility because this was not how it was suppose to turn out! This wasn't my story!

"Sengoku-kun," rasped the once powerful Pro hero. "If you really want to change how the hero industry works then please consider this: become a hero who will be the next _Symbol of Peace_."

* * *

Jakku Junior High is a reference to a planet in the Star Wars (The Force Awakens) saga. On another note, the Japanese meaning for Jaku is "weakness" while the Korean meaning of Jakku is "repeating" which is kind of a theme to this chapter.

The lyrics used in the fic are from the Persona 5 song "Beneath the Mask/Rain version".

Kawaki-sensei - Her name means "Thirst", her quirk is absorbing hydration from both the air and people. Good for knocking out unruly students.

Kamitsuku Sanzoku - His name means "Snap/Snarl at", "Bandit" so it basically translates to "Snarling Bandit" which goes with his quirk and delinquent status.


	8. Chapter I: Feel

**A/N:** Wow. I mean, that was the longest chapter I've ever written guys. No seriously! Over 14,600 words was written down in the previous chapter and I honestly thought I was going to have a shorter chapter than 12,000 words. But I guess wanting to get it all out, wanting to dive deeper between the meeting with All Might and recreating the whole sludge monster incident while refreshing it with a couple of new elements really got me pumped up. I think the reason why I felt that this chapter would be slow was because of the beginning before the first villain encounter got it really going all the way. You guys were reading kind of the boring parts (but very important, let me just say) because it kind of gets difficult wanting to describe how... dull and angsty Kuzan is feeling after Izuku's death. I mean, trying to write something you don't understand is bound to be difficult, but I did my best.

Speaking of which...

 ** _Sandmann001,_** This story disappoints you. In your eyes, Kuzan in a cheap knock-off of Izuku and only reacting because that's what Izuku would have done, and sure, you may be right on that idea, but there's also other factors you're completely forgetting (or ignoring) like his first interaction with All Might or how he blew up in the heroes faces or how he called out the carelessness of the spectators that were making light of the dangerous situation. But sure, you're absolutely right! This story is "trash" and will continue to be "trash" because I like trashy story-telling. :)

 ** _Mr Beaver Buttington,_** Hahaha! Did that cliffhanger worry you? Yeah, I could see your point on why you didn't want to comment after seeing how people were freaking out over the Izuku death, but besides **_Sandmann001_** , everyone was just as intrigued as you were to see how the story would unfold in the future. Don't worry, just because someone says they don't like my story doesn't mean I'll go out of my way to appease them! Thanks for your support! :)

 _ **supercomicreader421,** _Your words, however difficult they are to read at times, are very much welcomed! Gosh, you're so nice! What the hell am I saying, everyone here is so nice! Thank you!

 ** _KyuubiNoPuma,_** Try listening to Kill la Kill OST - Ad la Lib or piano version of Seraph of the End OST - scaPEGoat. Those will make you cry too.

 ** _redskin122004,_** Oh wow! I'm so happy you're giving my story a chance despite your dislike for SI's in general, your comment really motivates me to do well to make the story come out at tip-top shape!

 ** _PatAbreu,_** Sorry, the page is being weird and won't let me spell out your name entirely, so I had to remove the period from your username. Anyway, I wanted to say your comment is hitting it a little too close to something I ain't ready to reveal yet! Lol, please keep it to yourself and PM me if you want to ask about it.

 ** _LordOfTee,_** I almost wanted to ask you if you were a Kamui Woods, Hashirama, Mokujin fan but realized your username actually reads _Tee_ not _Tree_. Lol.

 ** _Fat Future Cat,_** That's actually a very good point to consider, but whatever the user, I don't think it'd still be easy to wield something as powerful as OFA. Sure, rubber can contain it, but like that doctor in the manga/anime said, it'd be like mini explosions happening from inside, burning through his arms and body if he over did it.

 _ **You Are So Wonk,** _Thanks for giving this story a chance. Somebody else really didn't want to put their faith in it and just labeled it as not worth reading because of "false advertising", so it's nice to know a lot of other people are willing to look beyond that and try to see how it turns out even at the horrible loss of one of the most pure bois in shounen history.

 _ **chibi-no-baka,** _Yeah, labels are harsh but you gotta love a good story where we see someone want to flip the table and send the rest of the world spinning in surprise, right?

 ** _crissylover,_** Sorry for putting you in that position buddy. Dead Izu is dead. As for the relationships between Kuzan and Bakugō, we shall see how that turns out. Hm?

 ** _Prince,_** This is why I love you. You're a stubborn little shit but you make it so damn hard to not love you. 3

Now onto the chapter you've all been eager to read, let me just say that I have no such medical knowledge and therefore am heading into comic book science/medical mumbo jumbo, so if there any volunteers to help me with this, I'm all ears! Otherwise, enjoy the reading and remember to leave reviews and criticism!

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter I: Part II**

 **.**

* * *

 ** _thump!_**

A crumpled plastic of juicebox bounced on the table after it smacked the side of my face, setting off a bunch of other students into a round of laughter.

"His face...!" one of them pointed at me while holding their stomachs.

It wasn't really funny. Didn't it get really boring throwing trash at the resident punching bag? It had to be because this had been going on for pretty much the entire time I attended Jakku. It was probably a psychological attack I seen high school girls do back in my previous lifetime.

I used to feel awkward and anxious when the pretty girls would look down at me from the bridge of their perfect button noses, watching me until I was walking away before breaking out into fits of giggles. Girls were experts in planting seeds and messing with your head like that: brain ninjas a comedian once called them. I would try to laugh it off like it was nothing, but I knew that they knew how deeply their little gestures and words effected me.

Guys were more confrontational, more than eager to fix the problem rather than think it over. In which case, they sought you out and kicked your ass.

Wiping away some of the sticky juices that splashed on my cheek, I finished my lunch and packed up.

The classroom was empty of any lingering jerks, all of them too busy crouching in the shadowy corners of the school building or picking fights with other small groups they had to share an establishment with. I made it back to my desk, but instead of staring at the words carved on it, I saw nothing but a memory playing out behind my eyes. It wasn't a memory of dark times but rather of uncertainty.

It was all I could really think about.

 _"I-I'm not him." I shakily exhaled the words, the rest of my body trembling as if in fear. Maybe I was afraid. "I'm not your guy. I'm not the one you want."_

It's been two days since I told All Might that he had the wrong guy and left him standing there alone near the edge of the river.

Coming home (getting yelled at by dad and checked up by mom before yelling at me as well), I was bombarded with things like uneasiness and restlessness. For the first time in almost two years, I spent the entire night tossing and turning in bed.

The conversation went on like a broken record, the scene repeating as I remembered the way All Might's tall frame seemed to shrink in himself when he heard my reply.

I also couldn't stop thinking about how heartbroken he looked when I turned tail and ran away from him.

My brain was more hyper vigilant than ever before. It was like a creature that had been contained away for so long had finally been released, bouncing excitedly off the walls of my cranium, leaving me alert and body coiled with tension, ready to rocket off my bed and probably run around like an enthusiastic fitness freak. The exhaustion, the lethargic motions, the prolonging of daily life seemed to have all been forgotten that night.

Maybe it was the near death experience that kept me up, maybe it was from thinking about how Bakugō was handling his brush with death, or maybe it was about All Might, but not a wink of sleep was attained and before I knew it, it was morning already.

I tried to carry on like nothing's changed, but even I knew that was impossible given how everyone looked at me with a different kind of recognition.

Everyone in Jakku knew about the sludge villain incident.

I never liked to listen to the news because all they ever talked about was the latest hero fad or the most exciting fight to date. Somebody obviously recorded the whole thing and uploaded it, giving millions a view of what happened.

"His pansy ass got saved by All Might."

"Yeah, I know! All Sengoku did was just stand there and piss his pants while that villain attacked!"

"I would've socked that bitch in the face with my quirk, not stand there like an idiot."

Of course some parts of the video was cut, I scoffed to myself. All the public was told was how two middle school students were attacked but were rescued by the valiant All Might who showed up in the nick of time to blow away the evil doer (while simultaneously wowing the audience for his ability to temporarily change the weather at the swing of his fist).

No happy or family-friendly media platform would dare broadcast to the public how their heroes faltered in the face of a crisis, how a child was almost killed from their inability to act, how a civilian had to be the one to step up and snatch the hostage back themselves with their own quirk, or how the heroes and people alike were given a scathing lecture from said civilian who wasn't afraid to bring to light their poorly executed actions. And let's not forget that the press was too busy wanting a quote from the number one hero himself, completely ignoring everyone and everything.

Throughout the entire time, the energy in me did not drain but remained as it was. I tapped on the surface of my mangled desk, let my leg bounce on its heels as I sat there, wrote some notes or doodled on the edge of my journals, but the pent up energy did not fade.

Once gym class had started, I ignored going to my usual spot on the bleachers and instead took off on the track field set behind the school grounds. I kept running and running even as my weak muscles burned, when breathing started to hurt my throat and chest, and even when my gym shirt absorbed the sweat I gathered.

After gym, the energy simmered down somewhat but the tingles promised to return with a vengeance once I was able to get a few minutes of rest. Nobody really used the track, leaving it to crumble away from it's original appearance as nobody bothered to mow down the greenery that was left unattended by the caretakers of the school establishment (did we even have caretakers?).

Because I was under house arrest for the stunt I pulled back in the shopping district, and because I scared the crap out of my parents for said stunt, I was only allowed to go to school and then return to the house. The threatening glower from my father and the sharp tone from my mother told me that they were no longer going to tolerate my detached behavior, promising dire consequences if I brushed off their warnings.

This left me to sit in my room, too unfocused to pay attention to my television or video games, and feeling quite cagey when my feet were demanding me to go outside and run around the neighborhood block to get rid of the thrumming under my skin.

For the first time in almost two years, I pulled up a yoga mat hidden under my bed and tried to remember the exercise routine Tsuchiya taught us at the beginning of the TOPT youth's gym.

 _'I just need to get my energy out.'_ was the excuse I made to myself as I struggled to perform multiple push-ups within the five minute mark. _'That's all this is: burning away the energy.'_

 ** _bonk!_**

An elbow bouncing off my head returned me to the present, and I looked up to see Kamitsuku cackling as he strode down towards his own desk where he shoved the chair and flopped his ass down then kicked his legs up on the desk. His followers mimicked him, slouching over their own desks as they waited for class to start and be over with.

Kamitsuku looked pleased with himself, his chair tilting dangerously backwards to the point where most people would think he'd fall and crack his head open, but I'd seen him do this plenty of times to know that he had great balance. He smelled of nicotine and heavy cologne, the kind that made me scrunch my nose that I had to null my smell so I wouldn't get a migraine from it, and his dark pompadour looked pretty shiny with the sunlight enhancing it.

"Hey, Kamicchi."

One of the goons who called Kamitsuku's attention rolled their head towards my direction, and I realized that I had been unconsciously staring at them for longer than was comfortable which resulted in a group of angry faces glaring my way. It was about this time where I just slowly blinked like some slow motion sloth and reverted my attention elsewhere.

But I didn't.

I kept my eyes trained on them. On Kamitsuku.

"The hell you starin' at, pussy?" one of them drawled. "Got somethin' to say?"

There was only silence on my part. Or at least, the classroom was silent while my heart was drumming like a pair of loud bongos that I wondered if Kamitsuku and his gang could hear it from all the way across the desks.

"Oi!" Kamitsuku snapped, feet planted on the floor with the rest of him pivoting towards me. "You deaf now? You got somethin' to say to me, you dipshit?!"

Fighting was too troublesome. It took energy, effort, endurance, and a whole lot of anger to retaliate against an entire student body that went out of their way to make life difficult.

And yet.

And yet I kept staring right at Kamitsuku. I kept an eye on the way he twitched in his seat, the facial muscles going taut with tightness as his eyes narrowed dangerously, lips curling backwards to snarl at me when I still refused to back down from his barking.

Kamitsuku surged to his feet, chair scraping sharply on the wooden floor just as the door slid open to let the students in.

The teen stood there, glaring fiercely towards me all the while ignoring everyone else who shuffled around him to get to their own seats. It was when Kawaki-sensei arrived that she noticed one of her student's standing while everyone else was sitting down.

"Be seated, Kamitsuku! Class is in session!"

For a moment, I wondered if he was going to refuse and vault over the desks to get me. In the end, he flopped back in his seat and kicked his desk, ignoring sensei's lecture of him to take care of school property because the school couldn't afford to get the boy a new desk.

The entirety of school went on as usual—in a sense.

Rather than ignoring the shoving, insulting, and harassment, I forwent the whole keeping my head low and not spurring any attention to myself. People who shoved me in the hallways found themselves surprised when my torso didn't fall back or forward as it usually did, instead they ended up as a sprawling mess on the ground when my body bounced them off my frame. Kawaki-sensei, who did hall monitoring, had to cut in before things got real, becoming a screeching banshee who commanded order and obedience less they end up drained of energy.

School came to an end for the day.

Students rushed out, teachers hurried to the station to catch a train ride home, and the world kept sweeping the seconds that ticked by.

It was the same as any other day... but not quite.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Sunday meant no school, and it left me in a state of limbo for not having a place to go to besides my room or anywhere else inside the house.

Several times, dad caught me doing exercise routines to pass the time, working up a sweat while doing so in the small spaces of in my room or the living room. It made me feel twitchy with the way he was watching me with speculative eyes, but he said nothing and finally relented on the whole house arrest ordeal. It took a lot of convincing to get mom on board but she too relented.

This was how I ended up doing some grocery shopping.

I had this strange habit of standing in the fresh fruit aisle because of the pleasant aromas that lingered from the carts of diverse fruits. Strawberries, sour grapes, kiwis, red raspberries, green apples, those small tangerine oranges (it was no secret that I liked eating the sour flavored kind), but I knew I had to get back to shopping for the rest of the items mom wanted.

... But it didn't hurt to stick around a little bit longer. Five minutes was all I was asking for.

The hairs from the back of my neck rose while the surface of my skin prickled.

Somebody was watching me.

Pausing from inspecting the amount of green apples I wanted to take home with me, I didn't go for the subtle route in peeking but actually turning around to see who the hell was spying on me. Why couldn't these asshats mind their own business?

Who I saw made me almost choke on my own spit.

A couple aisles away from the staircase that led to the second floor of the grocery store, standing all by his lonesome self as people gave him a wide berth due to his unapproachable appearance, was a face I didn't think I'd be seeing anytime soon.

All Might offered an awkward wave.

Not going to lie, but the sight of him in his twig form made me want to cringe.

It would've been a dick move for me to turn around and pretend I didn't see him, and while I was tempted to do just that, I couldn't bring myself to have a repeat of days where I acted more like a zombie than a person. It's been four days since I last saw him and I still had trouble sleeping; image after image of his eyes dimming when I turned my back on him, when he revealed his true form to me only to be rejected, leaving me with a heavy weight resting atop my shoulders.

Those sad eyes and hunched over body made him look like he wanted to turn invisible or have the ground swallow him whole. His timid reaction actually reminded me of—

"Mom, look at that guy! He looks like a skeleton!" a snobby-looking preteen blatantly exclaimed, not at all ashamed that she was talking loud enough for All Might to hear her all the way from where he was standing. Instead of standing up for himself, the blond seemed to shrink and flush in embarrassment.

The mother of the girl took one look at All Might's gaunt face and scrawny frame before coming to the conclusion that he was a creep. She snatched her daughter up and snuggled the girl close to her bosom, becoming a shield between the little girl and All Might.

"Don't wander away from me, Ami." the mother hissed at her daughter while glaring at the stricken-looking All Might.

With the people keeping their eyes averted from him, hesitating to reach for some vegetables that he was standing in front of, and pretending that he didn't exist, or worse, treating him like he was a contagious disease, I was shocked to feel angry for All Might's sake. Sure, he was skinny enough to hula hoop through a cheerio and his eyes were sunken in too deep that you couldn't see anything but the blue iris that showed there was life in him, but that shouldn't have automatically made people think he was a menace.

If anything, he looked like a guy who had been released from the hospital, or hadn't been fed a decent meal for years! I visited the hospital enough to see plenty of patients like that, all of them with different reasons and stories on how they ended up looking the way they did.

"I don't want you anywhere near that strange man. He looks like he snatches young girls and does awful things to them."

Oh _hell_ no.

"Hey!" I snapped at them, catching the mother and daughter duo by surprise. "Why don't you mind your own damn business rather than talking crap about some stranger you don't even know!"

The girl flushed in embarrassment while the mother's mouth flapped messily, words turning into a stuttering mess but I wasn't interested in hearing her reply. Children were more easier to understand because they had a lot to learn about keeping rude comments to themselves, and their parents were the people to correct them from such mistakes. However, this woman practically encouraged it by not pointing it out to her daughter. Even if All Might was some creep, common sense dictated that you admonish your child for their rudeness and politely excuse yourself from the area to head elsewhere from the person you perceived as a threat.

It was the most logical and calm route to go if you wanted to avoid any drama and embarrassment.

But no, her child was rude and the mother was even more so. It would definitely embarrass the young girl, but me ripping into the kid's mom would teach the girl to think twice about acting out in public because there was no way I was going to let the woman live it down if she thought she could get away with talking shit to a stranger who did nothing to earn her disdain.

"Is that what you teach your kid? You let her talk like that to a person's face and back her up on it when they've done nothing to earn it?" I demanded. "What the hell kind of parenting is that?"

"I-I...! Th-this is none of your business—!"

"You made it my business when you accused someone I know as some sort of pervert!" I snapped at her.

Whatever she wanted to retort stayed stuck behind her teeth because the quiet whisper of her daughter made the woman become aware of the many eyes drawn towards us. People were staring, whispering, pointing fingers, and it probably felt like standing naked on a stage with millions of people getting an eyeful of it all. The kid, while babbling careless things, was smart to realize how badly this was spiraling out of her mother's control and thought it was high time they just dropped the issue and leave the store.

Both red in the face, they submissively turned away and left without a word. Had I felt any more vindictive, I would have kept at it but I didn't feel like wasting anymore words and allowed them to leave with what dignity they had left. Here's to hoping they wouldn't pull that crap again on some other stranger the next time they went out shopping together.

Something thin and light thumped me on the back of my cranium.

"That was mean, young man."

I shrugged, not caring I got a karate chop to the head.

"I never said I was a nice person."

"Oh? Are we liars now?"

"Aren't we?" I said while turning to face him.

All Might huffed.

"I'm not really lying. I'm just omitting a few things."

A snort escaped my lips, but not in a mean sense. If there was one thing that was kind of funny, it was the fact that All Might felt somewhat guilty about not revealing everything about himself to everyone. Ever since his debut in the superhero business, he had been in the limelight for decades, and people were always shoving microphones in his face, asking the most uncomfortable or awkward questions, and demanded his attention for every little thing because he was the poster boy of Japan's hero community.

Watching what little I paid attention due to Izuku and Bakugō's almost fanatical adoration for him, I felt kind of sorry for him because all that attention must've been driving him up the wall. The man had a right to his privacy, allowed to walk the streets without cameras and reporters harassing him, and allowed to feel like a normal person when his All Might persona was pushed in the closet for the time being just so that his true self could enjoy a normal evening. Well, as close to a nice evening as he could get away with since all anybody ever seemed to do was avoid him like the plague.

And now he was acting like he did something wrong. It was as if he was afraid of disappointing me—

The amusement shriveled up and died.

Of course.

He _did_ think he disappointed me. He did think that his lies left me feeling betrayed when I got a good look at his withered state. He probably even thought that I believed he could continue on, only to find out that it was nothing more than a sham and All Might was barely hanging on the edge of a cliff by his pinky finger. He probably even got it in his head that my rejection to his offer was really a rejection to _him_.

Odin's beard was I the biggest asshole in the universe.

"You're entitled to lie." I said. "Some stuff is better left unsaid if it means you get a chance to breathe easier for it when you don't want anybody to bother you. Besides, it's nobody's damn business but your own on how you lead your life. Screw everyone else who's got a problem with it."

For a quiet moment, All Might's blue iris danced around in the shadows as they appraised me. I stood my ground and allowed it. I made the mistake of making him believe that his true form scared me off, but the longer I faced him and didn't twitch when we made eye contact, the more he began to feel at ease. His stiff posture gradually became relaxed and the suspense between us erased itself.

"Easier said than done." All Might shrugged.

"It is easy." I assured him. "Anyway, been meaning to ask you something since I saw you standing all the way over there."

"Oh?" All Might hummed as began inspecting the aisle we were standing next to. "Ask away."

"You here to stalk me or—?"

It's been, let's just say, a long _while_ since I was able to talk to someone besides my parents, and even with mom and dad our relationship was kind of on the rocks; I had been nothing but ungrateful and apathetic to any and all their attempts to reach out to me. Anyway, the whole point I'm trying to explain is, with being society's resident pariah and antisocial sour wolf, I was kind of short-handed with my social skills. Thinking quickly on how to break the ice to avoid it becoming awkward, I went with the safe route: telling a joke.

And it turned out to be a poor one because the next thing I know All Might was spewing blood like he was heaving up his entire digestive tract!

" _HERREGUD_!" came a high-pitched squeal that most certainly _did not_ belong to me.

...

From the distance, it looked like the paramedics were using sign language with how expressive they were using their hands than asking a sheepish-looking All Might hundreds of questions about his health, what drug prescriptions he used before leaving his home, and his emergency contacts so that someone could be informed of his whereabouts in the hopes he would be picked up as he had adamantly refused to hitch a ride in their ambulance.

"For the last time," All Might exhaled as he backed away from one stubborn paramedic, a petite woman who looked hilariously like an angry chihuahua that was driving the tall giraffe in a corner. "I'm fine! This happens all the time!"

"Excuse me?! All the time?!" the petite woman screeched.

"This is nothing new! I've been dealing with this condition for years! I know my limits!" All Might pleaded as he backed more and more away from the angry-looking paramedic.

After the whole freaking out in the grocery store where everyone within the vicinity pulled out their phones and dialed for the ambulance to arrive because some skeleton literally coughed up heavy amounts of blood to make them look like they've walked out of a slaughter house, my shopping task was put on hold. I removed one of my shirts which left me in an undershirt, trying to help clean up the blood (and wow wasn't it going to be fun explaining to mom why I came back with a blood-soaked shirt) while waiting for the paramedics to arrive.

"I was only shopping for groceries." All Might pointed back at the store behind us. "I'm heading straight home afterwards, I promise."

Seeing the poor guy trying to fend off the viscous chihuahua, and feeling awful all over again, I stepped in between the lady and taller man.

"If it's alright, I'll be carrying his stuff for him so he won't strain himself. My mom also works as a doctor so I can call her if something happens to him on the way to his house." I explained.

"Oh," the woman studied me. "You're Dr. Gunnarsen's boy."

"Are you sure we can't call you a cab?" the other paramedic, a man with a pair of tiny angel wings sticking out from the sides of his head, gestured back towards the ambulance. "Or give you a ride on the ambulance?"

"Thank you but I'll be alright." All Might made a show of stretching his legs and arms. "I've been cooped up in my apartment for awhile so I wanted to get some fresh air and exercise a bit. I was only suppose to walk here, buy enough to fill my pantry, and head on home. I didn't mean to cause trouble."

I almost jumped out of my own skin when the small woman whipped a finger close to my nose, treating it like a butcher knife than an appendage.

"Make sure he gets home safely," the paramedic ordered, her voice deadly seriously. "If I hear in the local news channel that this guy ended up in the ER because he was found bleeding out in some ditch, or there's a report of a man who could be Big Bird's twin brother admitted in the morgue, I will find you and I will _end you_. Hippocratic Oath be damned."

Forget the chihuahua, I was staring down at a viper!

"Yes ma'am." I managed to reply, and I had to hold back the urge to salute.

After gathering All Might's groceries and tucking them away in his own tote bags (point for all of humanity finally doing away the plastic bag gig and convincing everyone to use reusable bags), we both set off on a journey to his apartment. There was a lot of young folk meandering around the streets; boys messing around in empty parking lots or shooting hoops in the basketball park and girls heading out together to the movies or gushing about the latest rocking episode of their favorite anime.

Cars honking, pedestrians walking, children shouting, the city bustling with never ending activity. All Might seemed just as immersed in it all as I was, quietly taking in everything as walked side-by-side. Almost twenty minutes after we left the store, the older man gave an awkward smile and pointed at the bags hanging off my arms like I was a coat rack.

"I can take those—"

"No."

All Might's blue eyes appeared to flicker in and out, suggesting that he was probably blinking because my refusal did not compute to his brain.

"N-no...?!"

"I don't care if Jesus Christ Himself said to let you carry these bags, I'm not letting you carry them." I firmly stated. "You heard what that paramedic said to me; I ain't gonna get my ass murdered because of you."

"Because of _ME_?!" All Might guffawed.

"Hey! She wasn't threatening you with bodily harm, so you can go ahead and shut up!" I growled at him.

"You're so mean...!" the taller man cackled, hand resting over his chest as he slightly hunched over to gain back his breath.

"I'm pretty sure I told you I'm not a nice person." I pointed out to him.

"Naw," All Might shook his head as he exhaled a few more laughs. "That's not true. I think you're a pretty good soul, you just won't admit it."

"Exactly what I needed to hear. All Might's personal Seal of Approval."

Feeling cheeky, the man gave me a thumbs up.

I almost wanted to keel over with laughter that the urge made me almost stumble for a second and drop his grocery bags. That... surprised me. Usually I felt annoyed or embarrassed, most of the time not caring for dumb humor, and yet the silly gesture lit up a bubbly and light feeling from inside me. When was the last time I laughed out loud? Like actually laughed from the bottom of my stomach and let it filter out of my open mouth?

There wasn't a lot of reasons for me to smile or laugh anymore these days.

I trailed after All Might, quietly observing him as he forged on through the city streets to get to his apartment.

Somehow, this gangly-looking man whom I've only known for an hour (including the time when we first met) made me feel like I didn't have a lot of reasons to stay mopey either.

"Here we are." All Might pointed at a street that led to a couple of apartment complexes.

"Huh." I eyed the buildings. "You don't live in a condo or penthouse?"

"Oh, goodness no. Too much space and I only come home half the time."

Probably because he was off doing his All Might thing where he was big and buff and kicking ass somewhere in the city.

A thought suddenly occurred to me. "Wait. What are you doing in Musutafu? Aren't you from Tokyo?"

"Ah, let's first get to my apartment and then we can talk some more."

"We're not taking the stairs. I don't care how much you want to stretch your legs, but we ain't taking the stairs because I can hear the only lung you have struggling to take oxygen when you overwork yourself."

All Might froze from taking another step.

Yeah, I shook my head at him, that's what I'd thought he'd do. There better be an elevator or I was going to throw him over my shoulder. The man in front of me pivoted enough so that he could face me, but the somber expression he had made me falter from speaking.

"... You can hear that?"

Now beginning to feel a little anxious at the plummeting mood, I gave an awkward shrug. "I mean... I can hear really well."

All Might stared at me.

"Can you smell blood, too?"

I met his gaze.

"The Gunnarsens have a sentinel quirk. The obvious part is our eyes, but we're hyper sensitive to sound, touch, smells, and taste."

He looked down at his shoes. "Oh dear. I honestly forgot about that part, all I can recall is that your family have excellent vision for seeing things most people can't."

That wasn't surprising to hear, a lot of people in general forgot about the rest of our abilities because they were too busy squirming from feeling the intensity of our gazes. The women in the family had a reputation of being goddamn terrifying if they were crossed, and I could attest to that from seeing mom turn into a beast when somebody thought they could mess with her family.

"We should head inside." I said.

"Ah, yes."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

By the time I got back home, it was already dark and dad looked ready to go on a man-hunt.

Returning many hours later, and empty-handed at that, I earned myself another round of angry lecturing. There was no way I could get away with a lie because mom would instantly know and call me out on my bullshit, so I went for the next best thing and explained honestly that I got distracted and lost track of time.

" _Got distracted_? What got you so distracted that you forgot to go to the store and bring back the groceries, _HOURS_ later?!"

"Some guy coughed up blood in the middle of store." I waved my hands at to my undershirt. "Look at me! I had to throw away my shirt because it was covered in blood."

Mom's angry pacing around the living room area came to an abrupt halt. The tension in her body shoved out of her system to make room for the concern she felt for the hurting stranger.

"Are they okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine." I assured her. "He only started coughing up blood like crazy because he got spooked over something, and he said it was a normal thing."

There was a pause where each of us had to really think about my words carefully because even saying it out loud caused people to stop short and let it register; some sick guy telling you that it was normal for them to cough up blood? Yeah, like hell they were going to take his words seriously and let him off on his own after that bloody spectacle! Had mom gone with me, she would have manhandled All Might into the ambulance herself and dragged him into the hospital so she could make doubly sure that he wasn't bleeding internally.

"And that's when you offered to walk him back home and carry his stuff," dad finished the story for me.

"Yeah." I nodded.

Not going to lie but today felt kind of surreal.

And I only went out to get some damn groceries!

Finally dismissed from my parents, I head up the stairs and into the bathroom for a quick shower before heading into my room. Flopping down on the mattress, I sit there for a long while to get my thoughts in order.

" _Ugh_!"

Falling backwards on the bed covers, I stare at the ceiling and thought about the conversation I had with All Might back in his apartment.

The first time looking inside his home, I felt like a nosy person for taking in every decor of his home and a thief that was sneaking inside someplace they shouldn't be. The whole place really did have the feeling that barely a soul lived in it, just a bland wallpaper with pictures that hung off the wall depicting paintings of cubism and abstract art.

 _I helped him put away his purchased items in both the pantry he pointed out to me earlier when we came to the kitchen and the fridge. Our cooperation made the task finish in less than five minutes, leaving us with nothing else to do but sit down and finally have that talk._

 _"I've only arrived in the city a couple weeks ago." All Might began as he made tea. "Save for a handful of people from the hero community, nobody knows that I'm moving here. Permanently."_

 _My eyes drifted down to where his scar was hidden._

 _"I don't have a lot of time left before I'm no longer the pillar holding this society on its legs."_

 _"You're retiring." I whispered._

 _This was one of the few instances where I wanted to punch myself in the face for ignoring this because dammit I was stumbling around half blind trying to navigate this place as carefully as I could. I messed up by getting involved with Izuku, the lead of the story I was living and breathing in, and he was dead! And now there was All Might in front of me, telling me that he was pretty much closing in on his own dead end._

 _"I suspect that by the end of next year, everyone will know the truth."_

 _That was less than twenty-three months from now._

 _"Shit..." I muttered under my breath while running a tired hand over my eyes._

 _"The other reason on why I moved into Musutafu is because I'll be joining a certain school as a member of the staff."_

 _All Might as a teacher? That sounded like it was going to cause distraction rather than keep the rest of the student body focused on becoming the next batch of heroes to be flung into the world—Oh my God, I was a fucking moron._

 _MY HERO ACADEMIA!_

 _Izuku was suppose to go to school there! All Might was there, too! The series as a whole centered around a bunch of high school students! I had seen enough anime and read plenty of manga that majority of plots take place in a educational establishment where the leading characters would learn how to use their powers or whatever to better function in society. There was those slice-of-life moments and other high school tropes involved, but the point was U.A. was in the center of it all!_

 _"Something wrong, Sengoku-kun?" All Might asked when he noticed my angry fingers scratching my head._

 _"Nope!" I bit out. "So you're gonna be a teacher? That doesn't sound fun. Sounds like a pain in the ass to deal with so many brats trying to be cool heroes."_

 _"One of those brats will be my successor."_

 _Instantly I went quiet. All Might finished his tea brewing and joined me on the island table I was sitting at. Silently watching him pour the tea into a mug, I quietly declined when he offered to do the same for me. I was more a coffee person than a tea guy. I stared at the polished surface of the kitchen island, barely seeing any smudges of the sort to stain the reflective surface. After a moment of sipping his hot mug, All Might sat the ceramic cup gently down and leaned back into his stool chair._

 _"My quirk isn't really my own quirk."_

 _My tangerine hues snapped up._

 _"It's a power that's been passed down for many generations. I am currently the eighth holder of this power."_

 _That's right. From the foggy memories stored away in a hidden passage, Izuku enrolled within the school because suddenly he could kick ass like he had been doing it for years. Which was insane because he didn't have any powers on him._

 _My original impression of the overall story was that a powerless kid stumbled across the big hero who saw his heart of gold and encouraged him to follow his dreams despite his quirkless status._

 _But the more I thought about it, and the more I spent time with All Might and bantered with him, I started to remember a few important key details of the story. Such as Izuku not actually enrolling as a quirkless but as someone inheriting the power given to him by his idol. However, since his death, All Might needed to look elsewhere._

 _All Might moving into the city and becoming a part of the U.A. staff made a whole lot of sense._

 _"You need to find someone you approve of to inherit your quirk." I mumbled behind my laced fingers, eyes dazed as they stared at nothing. "This is how you're going to retire. As quietly as you can."_

 _"Yes," the other man sipped his tea. "Many of the people who are aware of my condition have told me countless times to retire, but for the sake of everyone else I couldn't."_

 _"Because..." I drifted off a little as I contemplated over the next choice words which would hopefully be the correct assumption as to why he was being all secretive about his condition that had nothing to do with privacy. It had to be more than just privacy. "... Society would collapse in on itself."_

 _"It'd be chaos." All Might sipped from his mug._

 _"You make it sound like everyone and everything is going to fall apart the second you step off the stage." I grumbled, feeling miffed. "God, everyone would whine and cry and throw a damn tantrum over losing their mascot."_

 _"Mascot?!"_

 _"Don't even deny it." I retorted. "People treat you like you're a thing they need to possess for their own. Like you're their personal Ken doll."_

 _"O-oh."_

 _"I always wondered about why villains are so obsessed with wanting to take over the world." I grimaced at the idea. "Humans are needy little things. Like pets you gotta entertain, gotta feed, gotta do everything and more if only to keep them all satisfied."_

 _"You sound like a villain, Sengoku-kun."_

 _I shrugged, not at all offended. "I'm just saying that it's probably the same for heroes, too. Even though you probably won't admit it, but it's gotta be tiresome playing the dancing monkey for these assholes who want you to leap through hoops."_

 _"And you're pessimistic."_

 _"I'm a realist. There's a difference."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Yes, now drink your goddamn tea."_

 _All Might had to turn away to avoid spitting out any liquid because of how much he wanted to howl with laughter. Taking care to make sure he didn't begin laughing hard enough to open another opportunity where he'd cough up another gallon of blood, I waited for him to calm himself. It thankfully didn't take over a minute as the man was able to control his breath and return to the table._

 _"You're something else, young man." All Might chuckled. "It's a damn shame no one sees that."_

 _I squirm a little in my seat, uncomfortable with the thought. "Their opinions don't matter to me. I ain't going out of my way to please the crowd, so anyone who thinks they can talk shit and not get hit are a bunch of dumbasses who deserve what they got coming to them."_

 _All Might sobered up. "That's awful."_

 _"I never said I was a nice person." I repeated my earlier claim to him._

 _"No." All Might motioned a hand towards me. "I mean... Is it really like that? Do they really_ _—?"_

 _"Judge first and never ask questions later?" I caught on. I peered down at the table and started picking at the between spaces of the tiled table top. "All the time."_

We ending up talking for hours. It was broken when someone called All Might (my ears were assaulted with the booming voice that bellowed "A phone call is HERE!" repeatedly until the lanky man fumbled to answer it) and when I realized the time and how shadowed the sky became, I excused myself to leave for home. All Might was on his phone but he looked disappointed that I was leaving, unsure if he would catch me again after our accidental passing in the store.

Looking around, I spotted a small pile of paperwork and an abandoned pen. Making sure to write on a blank piece of paper, I wrote down my phone number so he could contact me later whenever he had the chance. With a final wave, I left his apartment and headed straight home knowing full well that I was going to get my head bitten off for it.

 _'I'll think about it later.'_ I decided as I picked up my handheld game console.

After hours of being engrossed with my video game, dad gave my door a knock as a signal for me to turn in for the night because he didn't want me falling over my feet the next morning. Funny, being another sleepy-head in the class would be considered somewhat a good thing as it would mean the troublesome student was too tired to pull any of their usual bullshit in class or in the hallways. Besides, I was the last person my teachers were worried about.

However, I did as I was told and called it quits with my game.

Besides, I couldn't concentrate on the game given how my mind wandered towards dad who's been feeling a bit frustrated and tired as of late (more so than usual, at least). It had to be some investigation he was brought on board for, something that probably had to do with the random outbursts of attacks in populated areas of the major cities. Not only that, there was talk of a street drug.

Students in my school exchanged gossip and rumor, all of them babbling about a drug that could enhance a person's quirk. The more I heard of the drug, the more I wondered if this had anything to do with what was happening out there as it was beginning to drawn the concern of the public despite the heroes quickly containing the outbursts.

...

 ** _bzzt bzzt!_**

The phone danced on the surface of the desk I was occupying in a quiet section of the library (I think it was a library...?) of the school. Making sure that there was no one nearby to reprimand me before realizing what a silly line of thought because even the person who may or may not be the librarian didn't even bother to stop a shouting match between students that were preparing to trade blows because this place acted like a gambling hall.

Thumb sweeping across the black screen, I unlock my phone and opened the text messaging app.

 **unknown number {xxx-xxx-xxxx}**

 **Hello, Sengoku-kun**

Not too hard to guess who the unknown number was from. Adding the number to my small list of contacts, I quickly texted a reply.

 **hi**

It took about four minutes to get a reply. During the waiting period I wondered if All Might was having trouble texting because he was one of those old guys that took their time typing a message or that he had clumsy fingers.

 **AM: Am I bothering you? Are you in the middle of class?**

 **It's free period actually, ur good**

I ended up wasting my free period texting with All Might, almost getting marked absent when the warning bell sounded off in the hallway.

It got real easy to lose track of time when I talked to All Might, and it barely had anything to do with his hero work. Mostly our subjects ventured around things like books we've read, movie genres we liked, what strict diet he was on which led to me learning about how he got that scar.

There was a villain he had faced off against half a decade ago which went unnoticed by majority of the public and hero community, sans the doctors that treated All Might and the people closest to the Symbol of Peace. No stomach, half a lung, a portion of his intestines missing, his lower ribs that were destroyed and beyond saving were removed to replace them with bone grafts. He had to go through so many surgeries that it ended up sapping away his muscles and fat, and because he couldn't eat as much as he used to, it turned him into the person he was now.

I felt like punching concrete because that kind of hurt to hear what he went through.

But even with his poor health, he continued to fight the good fight. Keeping people safe, smiling at the masses who expressed their undying love for him, and pretending a little while longer that he was the colossal titan that would forever uphold their perfect world from the clutches of evil whom awaited below.

When the last bell signaled the end of school, I was the first one out the door and already crossing through the school gate.

There wasn't a lot to look forward to when leaving the school premises, taking my time to laze about before heading home, but now there was a reason why I hurried down the halls and onto the streets. Now there was something for me to feel a need to hurry the hell up and go, passing every busy body so I wouldn't be slowed by the people who had the same idea.

Now I had something to look forward to and I couldn't wait to get there.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

A pair of blue orbs bored a hole into my forehead.

"Why does it feel like I'm talking to an ancient person?" All Might wondered out loud as he pointedly stared at the band I selected on the touch pad. The image depicted of a dark cover with only four timeless faces staring back.

His observation wasn't far from the truth.

"I like classics." I stated while looking over the songs of Queen's album.

"Those aren't classics. Those are ancient oldies."

"So basically what you're saying is you don't like listening to Freddie Mercury."

"I _never_ said that." All Might appeared as though such a thought was blasphemous. "I _love_ Freddie Mercury."

"Then why do I feel like I'm being judged?"

"I'm not judging you."

"Yes you are!"

"It's because kids your age are listening to the latest trends in music, but here I am standing next to a fourteen-year-old who knows Pearl Jam, Journey, Pink Floyd, some Stone Temple Pilots, a little bit of Black Sabbath..." he counted the bands on his fingers. "You have to understand that this is pretty much of a shock to me."

"Oh really?" I glared at him.

He narrowed his eyes with a considering gleam shining in his glowing blue iris's. "Do you know Frank Sinatra?"

"The only song I know of his is Fly me to the Moon." I answered with a nonchalant shrug as I continued to flip through the multiple albums in the touch pad.

" _See_!" All Might excitedly pointed at me, getting all riled up again. "See! This stuff is like over hundreds of years old and yet you know what I'm talking about!"

"Will you settle down?" I complained to him. "You're probably going to get us both kicked out for being a public disturbance."

All Might had been both surprised and ecstatic that I listened to Western music, particularly that of the American genre. The first thing I got to do when I was old enough to have my own phone and laptop was search up familiar artists like The Weeknd, Fallout Boy, Jonny Craig, Kendrick Lamar, Alessia Cara, Halsey, Bruno Mars and other artists from my time and see what other songs they've released many years into their career before they either retired or died suddenly. People live and die, that was the hard fact of life, but back when I had been a young college student, these artists were also young and had many years to go... so seeing their aged faces in the pictures, or reading their death certificates was kind of a daunting experience.

Talking about the American bands was where All Might discovered I was perfectly fluent in English which made our conversations even more interesting and exciting (according to him, anyway). It had its uses, such as keeping it private and between us so people wouldn't get nosy by eavesdropping because they couldn't make a lick of sense of what we were saying. All Might liked the American culture, was a big fan of their outgoing attitude and their greasy whopper burgers. I had to agree with him because I myself loved burgers; I've been deprived of burgers my whole life in fact!

Anyway, his fascination with the USA was weird because my memories of America weren't something to think of as fondly. The poverty, the open hatred between race, class, and gender, the obsession for gun rights when it led to kids being murdered in their classrooms, the boat load of corruption within the government, and plenty of other crap that made the country deteriorate from inside. Decades of the problem gradually eased down with the people fighting back to fix the system, but still... All Might could do so much better than that country. The only public service America did was become a cautionary tale for other countries to avoid making the same mistakes.

"Detroit Smash?" I scoffed at the name of his signature attack when our conversation turned to his work. "Shouldn't it be Michigan Smash? Detroit's a city, not a state."

"I like how it sounds." All Might replied without shame.

"Of course you do!"

"Now look who's judging who!"

"You're so full of baloney I could eat it."

All Might looked at the time on his phone. "Speaking of which, are you hungry...?"

My hesitation caught the hero's eye. Seeing that familiar action where he wanted to shrink back to himself for thinking he had overstepped a line or boundary, I quickly explained my reluctance of eating out in public places.

"A lot of people are angry at us because of the fall-out," I mumbled to him while letting my eyes dart anywhere but him. Talking about it made the taste all the more bitter, and it had nothing to do with the sludge villain who's residue I still felt lingering in my mouth. "So you can imagine what sort of things the cooks will put in our food to feel justified in sending someone in the ER for food poisoning."

It was a good thing I was the only one who experienced it, my reaction to the food preventing the others falling under a similar state as they dropped their forks and knives in an instant when they realized their plates were the cause. It still sucked balls to be puking my guts out and visiting the toilet when my stomach demanded it for the next couple days, but my family got their just dues when dad delivered the evidence to his department to arrest the cooks who were responsible for the intentional food poisoning.

"Because it's our fault that this country has fallen behind from the rest of the world, it's our fault we crippled the hero community, and it's our fault we prevented handing out standard quirk aid to the public because people don't have the means to properly control their quirk."

The older man looked like he was going to explode into his muscle form like an angry pufferfish.

"Don't." I shook my head. "Whatever you're thinking, it ain't worth it."

"They can't do that!" All Might scowled indignantly. "This is all Aksel's fault! They should know that!"

"They do," I interrupted him, cutting his tirade short. "It's just easier to pour your frustrations on someone else when the source of everyone's bad day is a continent away from their reach."

"Unbelievable!" the taller man shook his head. "I had heard it was bad, sure, but I never thought people would stoop so low...!"

Tucking my hands in the pockets of my uniform slacks, I scuff the tip of my sneakers and flick through the touch pad.

"It's not surprising. People are cruel, petty, and viscous. If a parent taught their child what is wrong and what is right, the kid goes on believing it so. But what's right? And what's wrong?" I sighed, pulling off the ear bud and tucking it on the stand. "Someone of power told this country that they've been condemned because Aksel Gunnarsen's daughter married the wrong man, so now we are the evil that needs to be punished by whatever _justice_ they have in mind."

The tall man next to me appeared to want to yank his bangs off because he really did look like he was going to explode, and in the middle of the store where people were wandering around while looking for J-Pop bands.

"I can do something about this." All Might quietly informed me. "As the Symbol of Peace, maybe I can tell the public to—"

"No. No, absolutely not." I stopped him. "You're not thinking straight right now. You're thinking with your guilt. You can't get involved with shit like that."

"The hell I can't!"

Noticing we were getting some wary side glances from the customers, I grabbed his arm and pulled him with me to a corner where there wasn't a lot of people. Checking to see that there was no one nearby, and that our voices wouldn't bother the patrons and employees, I switched to English.

"You can't come in and support us. Do you know what'll happen? What people will think of it as?"

"That I'm disapproving how people treat an innocent family." All Might insisted, crossing his arms in that familiar manner where he wouldn't budge for anything less.

"It looks like we're blackmailing you to endorse us!" I stressed out. "It looks like we're trying to earn the public's approval by sucking up to the Symbol of Peace, or that we're kissing asses to get them to even tolerate my family!"

" _What_?!" All Might gawked at me. "How do you even figure that?!"

"Because people think the worst of us, that's why." I scowled at him. "It's like some reformed serial killer or rapist is asking a friend of his to spread the word that he doesn't go killing or raping people anymore! People won't buy that bullshit!"

Years seemed to be added to his already old age, the wrinkles becoming prominent on his brow and the edges of his shadowed eyes. All Might rubbed at his temples like he was trying in vain to ward off the migraines gathering like a storm behind the thin membrane of his skin.

"People won't change their minds about us, and I'm not going to force them to. They wanna stay that way? Fine, that's their decision. People who judge you without making an effort to get to know who you are aren't worth winning over. Fuck those guys who think they know it all."

I tugged at his baggy shirt, breaking him out of his scowling expression.

"Are you really okay living the rest of your life like this?" he asked me.

"Nobody's ever okay growing up being hated by an entire country because their asshole grandparent didn't get what he wanted, but that's the lot in life I ended up with."

...

The rest of the journey was spent walking All Might back to his apartment. He was quiet the entire time but I was alright with going in silence, he probably had a lot of processing to do of what he learned.

It was surprising to learn that he wasn't like the rest of the angry mob, but given his quirk was a simple melee type that didn't require any extra boosts to help him take down whatever enemy he faced, he had probably been neutral about the entire thing. Until now, that was. I eyed him warily, fearfully wondering if he would disregard my warnings and go through with his plan to use his All Might persona to his advantage. There was no doubt that the public loved him enough that he could pull it off, but that was where the problem lied: they love him.

They love him so much that they'll suspect something was going on. All Might never really interacted with my family, besides that one time he met my mom in the hospital when he did that monthly visit to the children's wing, cheering them up with his presence. People would ask what brought this on, what made him suddenly want to defend this family? Everyone would always look for an ulterior motive... except they wouldn't be looking at All Might.

I could see how horrible of a backlash this whole thing could turn out. Over a decade of their awful treatment wouldn't erase the years of resentment they've cultivated. Their children would be just as difficult because they were told their whole lives that bad people did horrible things to hurt their heroes and people, and that notion would stick to them like paper to glue as they genuinely believed that my family was evil incarnate.

We got to the apartment where the Pro hero greeted the doorman as we headed for the elevator. Once I walked him to his door, I said my goodbye and turned to leave. I stopped when All Might's soft voice reached my ears.

"Sengoku-kun?"

I faced him. "What's up?"

"... Why did you reject One for All?"

One for All: the quirk that was passed on from one generation to the next. The very thing that gave All Might the power he needed to fight the dark that threatened everyone. I don't know if he was asking because he was curious why as to someone would throw away the chance to have the ultimate power... or because he was curious to know why I refused to take up the hero mantle from his hands. Of all our talks from the past couple of days since we started hanging out together, I don't think I ever told All Might about my strong opinions against heroes in general. Everyone dreamed about being a hero since they were young (before reality gave them a slap in the face), and with how much heroes were consumed by the media, it was rare to find someone who was disinterested about the idea of heroism.

"Y-you don't have to answer me." All Might stammered. "I just... It's been bothering me for awhile, and sometimes I toss and turn in my bed thinking about it. It's a stupid thing to wonder, I know, but—"

"Because I'm not the right guy."

The answer made the other man's shoulders sag in disappointment. That was not the answer he was looking for.

"Right now, the population of quirk users has risen to 80%. Do you know what that means?"

All Might fumbled to answer, but I moved along.

"That means that majority of society was gifted with power. They can fly, turn invisible, see through walls, leap over buildings in a single bound... the whole shebang."

"Your point?"

"My point is everyone has been spoon fed all their lives because of it. People all around them told these people their whole lives how special they are, how powerful, how wonderful, how great they'll be if they become heroes." fingers angrily scratch the back of my head. "My point is that people with quirks don't respect power. They've played with it, they've abused it, and it's a part of them that they forget what it means to carry it. To be burdened with it."

There was a pregnant pause. A vague recollection I had when I was nine years old and sitting on top of the jungle gym next to ten-year-old Izuku.

It had been another bad day after school where a bunch of stupid kids found his journals and called him a freak for writing down information about their quirks. It got so bad that a teacher had to intervene, but it grew worse when those idiots claimed Izuku to be a stalker, so the teacher told Izuku to throw away his journal. The teacher even went so far as to tear the paper to shreds with the shredding machine. Izuku had been so downtrodden about it for days, barely able to smile even for his mother. The last punch to the gut was when those very same jackasses cornered Izuku and beaten him to a bloody pulp with their quirks.

"The person you should give it to is the one who's never known power. The person you should give it to is the one who's been beaten down their whole life, who's been told that they wouldn't get far in life, and for some reason only God knows why, someone who wants to help people despite their own unfortunate circumstances." I expressed as I stared at my hands to show All Might. "A person who's been weak all their life will respect that power. There's a hell of a difference between what's _given_ and what's _earned_."

My face rose to meet All Might's.

"To them, it is this unknown thing, this alien, this... _force_ that needs to be carefully controlled." I said slowly. "That's who you need to be your inheritor. That person is your next Symbol of Peace."

Hoping the answer was satisfying enough, I nod and turn away.

"You don't have to take my word for it, it's only a suggestion." I said while walking towards the elevator and clicking the down button. "You pick who you want, man. Could be someone in the halls of U.A., could be someone off the side of the street, could be someone quirkless or not. Whoever it is, you'll find them."

The elevator doors rolled open and I stepped inside. I gave All Might one last salute as the doors closed.

... All Might stood in front of his door for a long while, staring at the blinking numbers above the elevator that slowly made their way down until it reached the lobby floor. The thin man slumped against his door, head bowed as he let his exhaustion take hold of him.

"But I did find them, Sengoku-kun."


	9. Chapter I: Realize

**A/N:** God _DAMN_ is this chapter a whopper or what! I was thinking about splitting it in half but I suppose a lot of you will be disappointed with that and well come begging for more, so might as well feed you guys the whole damn thing!

The last chapter was about building something between All Might and Kuzan. What started as a reluctant beginning turned into something more than somebody who just happens to know the secret of the number one hero of Japan. To me, this relationship feels more, uh, real? More in depth? I'm not saying Izuku's relationship with All Might is less, this is my personal opinion so I'm not speaking for everyone when I say this, but I didn't feel anything when I read/watched how All Might chose Izuku as his successor. Later as the story progressed, I fell in love with the dynamic duo with soft hearts and sighs. Those two are just absolutely fucking adorable I can squish them in my arms!

 _Ahem_!

When it came to writing how to develop a relationship between a guy who's not a fan of heroes in general with the number one hero himself, it wasn't all that difficult for me to put these two opposite formulas to create great chemistry. The clue is watching how everyone interacts with All Might, from the students, to the teachers, to even Izuku. Watch it all and notice the common thread connecting them and All Might. And then look back to the story and watch how Kuzan interacts with All Might. This is more than trying to create a great difference with how Izuku and Kuzan act around All Might, so I hope the answer is easy for all of you to see. You guys can tell me more about what you liked about the dynamic of Kuzan and All Might if you want, it makes me really happy to hear that people were really into it.

To all my commentators:

 _ **Escritor3D & Guest(s), and all the people who rudely expressed their distaste for the story or can't be bothered to click the back button, **_(•_•) ( •_•)⌐■-■ (⌐■_■) *Pulls out CD, slips it in stereo, and presses the play button: Big Sean - I Don't Fuck With You*

 _ **Prince,**_ Give me one of those flags and hashtags because I need to scare these haters off.

 _ **RandomCitizen,**_ Look, maybe it's because you don't want to see it, hear it, or want to talk about it, but what I wrote in the last chapter that was a jab at America isn't exactly nonsense. A country that won't admit it has a problem is a problem in itself, but you are right that I should leave the politic shit alone when in here cuz God knows people get tired of hearing it and that's why we go into fanfiction, to forget about reality and conjure up fantasy. So yeah, I do apologize if that stuff offended you.

 _ **TMTMTM,**_ Yeah, those were kind of difficult to write but they were necessary chapters to introduce Kuzan because not everything is about action. Can't promise every chapter to be as exciting, but there will be moments where fluff and angsty shits comes along, but until that chapter comes, here's something else for you to enjoy. :)

 _ **Yuu Annoya Me,**_ That's kind of the whole point I've been trying to put in the story. Chaos Theory in full effect messing shit up, killing some dude, messing up an engagement, messing up an agreement, and most importantly of all! Messing up the characters involved! I warned EVERYONE in the first chapter that this was a story with a twist, but to be fair nobody was expecting me to kill poor Izuku, but I didn't want to play out the same old story that's been told a bunch of times by every author in the site, so I did what I did and rolled with it.

 _ **Rainbow79094,**_ I'll try to keep that vote of confidence as best as I can while navigating through this story. Hopefully it won't be too bad, I'm praying it doesn't turn into something ridiculous, but it might end up getting there over time as the story continues. I just hope that it will be perfectly paced and the story will still grip you to the very end as it did the beginning.

 _ **Thisfickillsme,**_ It's actually not that hard to write All Might. Maybe I've been reading too many fanfics or headcanons from tumblr, so when I write about the precious bun-bun man, I think about how he would react to stuff and what he would say. He's a big westaboo too, and methinks he likes reading American comics, watched old movies, so he feels in tune with Kuzan and is happy someone gets his references!

 _ **Phantom Aficionado,**_ Phew! Thanks for giving this story a chance! Already got a small mob scoffing at the entire story but I write what I write! Kuzan's got a big role to fill up with Izuku's unfortunate absence, but I ain't going to pull some shit like copy his every word and action because then Kuzan really would be a cardboard cutout.

 _ **Heptameron,**_ I actually based the eyes off of Akashi from Kuroko no Basket but I can understand the similarities between that and the Sharingan. Maybe I remember it wrong, but the way the guy uses his eye is to track how his opponents move; like he can see their muscle twitch which in turn helps Akashi predict their next move.

 _ **redskin122004,**_ I hope this chapter will answer some of your questions.

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter I: Part III**

 **.**

* * *

 _It was going to get dark soon, a couple of hours away before night spread itself. The sun was starting to descend from the sky, beginning to edge closer to the edge of the world while taking its brightness with it._

 _I don't know what I was doing._

 _I don't know what brought on this urge to get up from bed, pull on my shoes, grab a sweater and then head out. But I left through the window, not wanting to confront the couple waiting below on the first floor of the house._

 _Hoodie tugged over my head, I took care to avoid people and keep them from seeing my face. I took care to avoid a certain street where someone I knew lived. My feet slowly headed towards a destination that made my knees quake and my heart throb with a terrible ache. But however painful it was for me, no matter how much I wanted to turn around and run back home, or how badly I wanted to scream until my voice was raw, I continued on through the neighborhood._

 _It took awhile. I was acting like a slow moving tortoise, like a pet who was tugging at the other of the leash because they didn't want to be dragged towards a bad place, or like a man on death row who was taking his time to reach the place of his execution._

 _When I turned the corner, suddenly the apartment complex that I've come to for years looked less like a home and more like a tower; looming and judging, a colossal that regarded me as some puny ant which needed to be stomped on. My eyes started to swim, lost and distorted from reality, making the building appear as though it was toppling over, falling straight towards where I was standing. Boot to ant._

 _So lost in the vivid imaginations, I almost missed the entrance._

 _A moving truck._

 _Furniture already placed inside while the workers did a few quick adjustments to make sure everything was in place while securing a few lines to prevent anything from breaking or falling over one another. They worked quickly and diligently, keeping a careful eye of the cargo until they were sure that nothing was amiss. The back slid closed and they moved to the front of the large vehicle._

 _My eyes roved over the few men and—_

 _Midoriya Inko was there._

 _I froze, becoming stock still as a petrified deer in the headlights._

 _She was standing off to the side beside one of the workers, talking about something I didn't want to try and listen in on. But I was still able to smell her even from this long distance._

 _She smelled like salt. From crying so much._

 _I flinched when she turned around, towards my direction, and I quickly scrambled backwards to avoid being caught. I was moving too fast and suddenly, I ended up losing my balance and falling backwards on my back like an idiot. Thankfully I fallen back behind the corner, the wall blocking me from seeing her as I remained hidden from her sight. Or at least I hoped she didn't see me._

 _I should go home._ _What was I thinking coming here? Hadn't I already given her enough trouble with my presence? I was the reason she was crying so much in the first place. I was the reason why she wanted to leave this city behind her. I was the reason why Izuku, the center of her universe, never returned home._

 _A pained whimper escaped my throat._

 _Engines rumbled to life. Being the masochistic fool I was, I crawled towards the corner and peeked around the wall._

 _The moving truck quaked from the motor engine, waiting to follow the taxi cab that Midoriya Inko was stepping into with the aid of the driver._

 _The woman who was the first to show kindness to me and my family, the woman who shared recipes and stories over the kitchen island with mom and Mrs. Bakugō, the woman who looked after me when my parents and cousin were caught up with their jobs and hero internship, and the woman who was the most hard-working and lovable mother to my best friend, disappeared down the street in the backseat of a taxi._

 _I stepped out from the shadows, watching her go away without a word. Something in me screamed, howled, cursing me to run after her to tell her—_

 _And what?_ _At the end of the day, I'm still the reason why her son was dead. No amount of apologies was going to fill up the hole in her heart. She was living every parents' worst nightmare of outliving their children. I could already imagine the hurt and anger in her forest green eyes if she saw me, something I was too cowardly to see for myself because my whole life was spent seeing her greet me with welcome smiles and expressive eyes... it would've killed me to see it disappear and be replaced with emptiness._

 _With Izuku's mother gone, I felt sick again._

 _Turning to leave, I spotted something from the corner of my eye where the apartment gate entrance was._

 _It was a box._

 _Looking down the direction of where the moving truck went, I wondered if they forgotten it. They had to, I thought to myself as I slowly made my way towards it, they wouldn't have left if there if_ _—the smell caught my attention. It was a smell that made me almost recoil away from the innocent-looking box, made me think of days spent in the gym, time spent outside in the parks, or hours where the city was full and alive with activity._

 _It smelled like the paper used to write down paragraph after heavy paragraph of the information gathered, the collections that littered over the walls, occupying the shelves, beaming back at you from the nightstand, and of burning charcoal when that bastard blown up something..._

 _It smelled like Izuku._

 _With a few nervous steps, I was standing in front of the box. And with shaking fingers, I look inside._

My eyes fluttered open.

 _'Huh,'_ I stared at the ceiling, gradually feeling the rest of me wake up.

It's been some time since I last thought of Izuku's mother.

... Why was I just now thinking of her?

When I dreamed of her, the only thing I could hear was her voice; it first started the trembling in her words, the high-pitched volume where it sounded like the air was growing tighter around her throat because she didn't want to believe it, and then... and then there was a deathly wail. A sound that made me tremble, made me grip the bed sheets until my knuckles turned white, and grind my teeth until they ached against my gums.

Not once did I ever see her, only hear her.

And now... I was dreaming about the time I went to her home, my best friend's home. I didn't know what I was planning, but somehow I was heading towards the apartment all the same without really thinking it through. And watching the mover's pack up the last of her belongings, I saw Midoriya Inko disappear for good from everyone's lives.

It was morning. Early morning if the purple still lingering in the sky was anything to go by. My phone was another hour away from announcing my wake-up call to get up and get ready for school. Goosebumps prickled across the expanse of my exposed skin, and I watched the slow sway from the window that I forgot to close the damn thing last night, surrounding my room with a cool air.

A blink of my lashes alerted me of something thick plastered against the corner of my eyes.

Reaching for whatever it was, my fingertips brush against it. I pull my hand away and stared at the digits, watching the drop of liquid become dry the longer it sat there. A quick sniff picked up salt.

I released a heavy sigh, rubbing my face to remove the remaining teardrops and crusts.

I needed to get ready.

Looking back at the nightstand, I eyed the All Might action figure beaming towards me with its unshakable smile. Was All Might awake by now? The muscles in my hands twitched at the urge to reach for my phone and call, text, whatever, but I stomped it down as quickly as the thought came.

What the hell was I doing? Had I come close to considering the idea of bothering him with dumb stuff like having dreams and crying about it? I wasn't going to bother a high-profiled Pro hero over little things like that because I'm pretty sure he had better things to think about like trying to be healthy and keep searching for his next successor of One for All. Besides, I know for damn sure he would insist that it wouldn't bother him at all if I called him, so I snuffed it back down to the furthest corner of my mind.

He didn't need another weight to drag him down by the shoulders.

...

English class was a period I took full advantage of.

While everyone else struggled to understand the complete (or incomplete) sentences the teacher would write down on the board, I was either taking a nap or exchanging text messages with All Might. I had to be careful not to be seen with my phone out, so when the teacher picked someone that was not me to read, I ducked my head and quietly tapped on the screen to type messages.

All Might was out on his daily patrol during this time around Musutafu, getting accustomed to the strange land as he once called it. He should have been leaving the work to the resident heroes who were more familiar with the city, but I couldn't fault him for making doubly sure given after what almost happened to Bakugō.

 **Ur getting a lot better at replying quickly**

 **AM: That's cuz SOMEBODY doesn't like to ring me up.**

 **Im surrounded. By ppl.**

 **AM: Are you in class?!**

 **Its english class**

 **AM: That's no excuse to ignore your studies! What if I ended up calling you on accident?**

 **What? Like a butt dial?**

 **AM: I'd almost wish to see how you can explain yourself out of that scenario!**

 **Ppl will wonder how i got the #1 hero's number tho**

 **AM: I can pretend to be a voice app like people would use when they go around pranking their friends!**

I couldn't help but think back about all the pranks my dorm mate and his friends would pull when they called their other friends, relatives, significant others, or co-workers. I would sit there, watch and listen as they drunkenly dialed someone while selecting a celebrity from an app where it would play lines that almost convinced the person on the other line that they were actually talking to someone they've seen on the television screen!

My head thumped loudly against the desk, and I didn't care if I got weird looks when people watched my shoulders tremble. It took everything in me not to blow up in the middle of English class, my head almost inflating into a balloon as I held my breath and bit my lower lips to prevent any noise from escaping. A few minutes after I calmed down somewhat, I sat back up and returned to my phone.

 **AM: Hello? Sengoku-kun? You there?**

 **Omg, i almost made a scene in class! thought i was gonna lmao!**

 **AM: ?**

 **do they actually have those voice apps of you? i thought they banned them**

 **AM: HAHAHA! They did, but it would have been funny if people thought you actually had one!**

 **Did u use to pull that shit off? Prank people with voice apps?**

 **AM: Oh yes! I did this to one of my teachers in school!**

 **what happened?**

 **AM: He made me eat dirt for a week.**

 _Oooh_ , I thought with a small wince. That sounded like some story, but I got a feeling he wouldn't want to delve too deep about his past.

All Might promised to text me later in the afternoon, there was apparently a high speed car chase going on somewhere in the highways and he feared for the safety of the other drivers that might accidentally start a huge car crash pile up if the maniac behind the wheel wasn't stopped in time. I sent him my well wishes for a successful apprehension of the wannabe Mad Max before tucking my phone into my back pocket.

Class ended before I knew it, and I slowly followed after the rest of the herd to make it to my next class. People still shoved and bumped into me on purpose, but not as roughly as they did before because they knew that the harder they pushed, the harder my quirk would bounce them off me and send them to the floor without lifting a finger. It was a great way to show that I wasn't taking anyone's crap anymore, but now it got into everyone's head to amp up on their harassment.

My lunch was sometimes either sabotaged or stolen, my shoes left inside a toilet tainted with piss, my school equipment scattered across classrooms or hallways, and there would be brand new carvings or markers left on the surface of my already ruined desk.

Kamitsuku walked on by, a smug smile tugging on the corners of his lips.

Later on during gym class, I found myself pounding the sandbags I borrowed from the nearly deserted theater auditorium of the school.

The auditorium that used to be a place of announcement or plays was pretty much abandoned, sending away students and faculty alike because it was supposedly haunted or something. When I went to grab the sandbags hanging behind the curtains, I did sense a creepy atmosphere but I sucked it up and grabbed whatever equipment behind stage I could find and dragged it towards the gym area.

"Ever think about joining a boxing club, Sengoku?"

Coach Sorasu was a tiny old man with arms that were twice his height, a fuzzy little white mustache under his button nose, droopy eyes, and was always seen wearing a baseball cap nobody ever saw him remove from atop his head. He looked like a sloth (even his name in romanji sounded like the word "sloth"). Coach Sorasu even spoke with a slow drawl in his voice, mixed tones between dull and exhausted, but still functional enough for the teachers and students to tolerate him.

"No thanks." I grab a somewhat clean towel and used it to wipe off the sweat.

"Too bad." Coach Sorasu shrugged. "You look like you need to crush a few skulls."

"You just want me to kick ass because you can't do it yourself." I glanced at the other boys loitering outside on the bleachers.

"Wow, you're so smart Sengoku." Coach Sorasu feigned a surprise look on his droopy-eyed face.

"I'm no stranger to sarcasm, Coach." I deadpanned to him.

Again, the small sloth-like man shrugged and raised his long arms in a placating manner. His lazy dark eyes drifted towards the boys. "I'm just surprised that after all this time, you haven gotten in a fight. I don't know whether to congratulate you or accuse you of being a soulless robot."

"I _do_ get into fights."

"Fights usually involve participation." the small man pointed out.

"So I could get it in my record?" I snorted as I slapped the towel back where I originally placed it. "No thanks, I think I'll pass."

"You know there's a bet going on amongst the staff?"

Scrunching my brows, I turned to Coach Sorasu in curiosity. I've known most of the teachers since my beginning attendance at Jakku, and majority of them voted to not bother with me outside of class. Kawaki-sensei was the most prominent figure, but there was occasionally guys like Coach Sorasu, Secretary Ishō, and Tahenkei-sensei. The three staff members weren't so bad, but they didn't go out of their way to help me much when scary students threatened to get physical.

"Yeah?"

Coach Sorasu nodded as he scratched at his little mustache with his claw-like fingers. "Mm. Ishō says never because she's really hoping you go as quietly as you came in since you haven't broken your record yet. Plus, she doesn't want to be the one to clean up the bloody aftermath."

"Is her view of me that bad?" I huff in amusement.

Ishō, the principal's secretary, was a nervous wreck who was constantly anxious of being surrounded by hooligans that weren't all too shy to express their displeasure against her and the faculty. She took precaution to the extreme by handcuffing her belongings to herself and purchasing multiple padlocks to keep everything from the office to the file cabinets secure so there would be no tampering with important documents. I could easily pick her out of a moving crowd by keeping an ear out for the sound of jingling keys hidden away in her attire of the day.

"Quiet loners like you are always the ones we gotta watch out for." Coach Sorasu stated.

"There's plenty of loners like me." I scoffed.

"Are they quiet?"

No, those guys actually liked to scream profanity whenever someone looked at them funny (which was all the time).

Shaking my head, I glanced back towards the boys. "What did Tahenkei-sensei bet?"

"He's pretty convinced that this school is going to be the scene of a crime." Coach Sorasu hummed thoughtfully. "Figured he was putting his bet by the time you leave Jakku."

"Why at the end?"

Coach Sorasu shrugged. "Go out with a bang?"

"Huh."

I could see why Tahenkei-sensei would think I would pull off something like attacking other students during the last days of school. The appeal of the strategy would be that since we'd be getting the boot out, why not get back at the people who wronged me throughout my entire period in Jakku? There would be consequences to my actions of course, yet the desire to get rid of the troublesome students outweighed the idea of flunking them and enduring another year of hell all over again.

Takenkei-sensei took extreme pleasure in scaring the crap out of his co-workers with possibilities that could result in people, both faculty and students, getting hurt. Like Kawaki-sensei, the man became a teacher to better educate kids but ended up with the worst lot in getting dumped in this school since other schools were pretty much covered. He always liked to complain that Jakku didn't have the security it needed to keep everyone safe and out of trouble, deeply tired from having to break up fights every five minutes within the same hallway.

He warned the principal multiple times that one day a battle royale was going to break out if they didn't up the security of the place, but the only effect his words did was freak Secretary Ishō out some more.

"What'd you bet?" I asked Coach Sorasu.

"I made a bet that'd you grow a backbone and tell everyone to piss off."

Words like hypocrite and coward floated around in my head when describing Coach Sorasu, but I had to remember that he was only an old man that barely stood past my waist, so there was no way for him to fight back against a bunch of unruly kids who wouldn't hesitate attacking a teacher. I've been around long enough to see several members of the staff sporting small scars and subtle facial disfigurement that spoke of previous broken bones and jaws. I was an asshole but I would never push the coach into something dangerous like trying to confront my bullies (which was pretty much the entire student body).

"If you don't like watching me get my ass kicked, you can go ahead and ignore it. Everybody else does it." I grumble as I head back towards the sandbags.

" _Get your ass kicked_?" Coach Sorasu snorted humorlessly, claws coming to rest on his hips. "If I didn't think you were made out of rubber, I would've thought that you'd been knocked around in the head too many times! Have you been paying attention at all to those teenage tantrums? Not once have I ever seen you get knocked off your feet!"

" _Tch_!" I turn away from him to focus on the sandbags.

"You're plenty strong, Sengoku." Coach Sorasu said, refusing to leave me be as I pounded on the sandbags.

"Plenty of _other_ people are strong." I grumbled while wishing he dropped the subject.

I've heard of this conversation before, and most of the time I always knew where it ended up leading to. My father, from my previous life, always cautioned me to stand my ground and never let up because otherwise I'd be sending a message to the rest of the alpha dogs that I was easy picking. My mother on the other hand warned me to keep away, to keep my head down, try not to attract any attention.

Two choices that contradicted one another, two advises on how to deal with people looking to hurt me left me torn between wanting to make my old man proud and not wanting to worry my mother. One wanted me to be strong while the other wanted me to be safe, there was no third option I could look for when dealing with bullies.

Now, much to my chagrin, I was having this conversation. _Again_.

My parents want to protect me while Coach Sorasu wanted me to protect myself.

"It's easy to throw your weight around, but it's something else to have the strength behind it."

"Why don't you actually do something yourself if you're so keen on dishing out payback!" I vehemently retorted, simmering angrily at the coach's persistence. My loud volume was garnering a lot of attention, but I didn't care about who was watching us or not.

The small coach didn't bat an eyelash as the close proximity between him and I even as I towered over him in a intimidating manner. There was no alarm to be found in his eyes, not a hint of nervousness from his scent, there was only a frustrated boy and a tired old man.

"I'm an old fart, Sengoku." Coach Sorasu admitted. "I don't have the power to stop what's happening to my students, my co-workers, nor my school. Jakku Junior High is a dead last school full of troublesome brats that think they have no future because society says they're not worth shit."

And I saw his droopy eyes turn into something uncharacteristically sharp.

"But you... You are far from troublesome."

Something thick gathered at the end of my tongue that I had to swallow it back so it wouldn't slip out from my clenched teeth and closed mouth.

"You're the type that boils slowly when the oven is set low, gradually becoming hot as time passes on." Coach Sorasu continued. "One day that boiling pot is gonna burst, and the whole world is gonna hear you scream your fury out."

I remained utterly quiet. There was a familiar tingling climbing all around beneath my skin, trails of chills and hot flashes came here and there, and there was a light-headed feeling I was experiencing. Like a tune I was growing to be familiar with, my heart was thumping rapidly as a musician would play with their drum set and I didn't know how to calm it down, to drag it down.

Every word coming from Coach Sorasu was like a build up to something that threatened to burst out of the prison of my rib cage, wanting to be seen and heard like the sloth man said. There was a name to this... feeling. But I didn't want to acknowledge it, didn't want to experience nor unleash it so everyone would look at me and notice.

I told All Might once that I wasn't interested in endearing myself to a society that shunned me and humiliated my parents, so there was no point in directing this to the masses that would only fuel it until I was nothing but a pile of ash where my remains would be salted by the people who wished me gone. Still the feeling remained, the name stuck, and my body burned.

"I'm old and weak, Sengoku. I've lived long enough to build enough moments where majority of my life was full of mistakes I wish I could make up for, but my cowardice kept me from it. Now I gotta wait for my time to come when I pay back those dues." Coach Sorasu gave me challenging look. "So what's _your_ excuse from facing your own?"

The answer was both the easiest and hardest thing to know. But the answer would remain unanswered, for it was something not meant to be heard. In the end, I didn't have to worry about coming up with something to say because Coach Sorasu turned to announce gym period almost ending. The warning was a service so that anyone who was actually doing stuff like kicking around a soccer or playing basketball could take the time to have a quick shower from all the sweat they gathered.

Hair still wet and barely drying, I left the gym after everyone while avoiding Coach Sorasu who's eyes I could feel follow me out the doors.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

I was too engrossed with the book I was currently reading (more like staring at it) while my mind repeated the exchange I had with Coach Sorasu that I almost missed All Might's approach.

Or well, if hearing the joyful shrieks of children and the masses of bodies starting to gather around wasn't clue enough then the familiar booming laughter of the Pro hero certainly was.

Instead of a tall, lanky blond pole who I usually saw, wearing over-sized clothes that threatened to slip off his nonexistent waist and bony shoulders, there came his massive form towering almost every person in the area; All Might strode through the plaza while the people followed his footsteps like he was Moses leading the Hebrews towards freedom. My tangerine orbs tracked him, wonder what the hell he was even doing here?

I checked my phone for any messages or missed phone calls, but there was none besides the last time we chatted before my gym period.

The answer to his appearance came when I caught a glimpse of a figure hanging loosely under All Might's secure hold. An unconscious meathead who looked like he got the ass-whooping of his life.

Just another criminal who had an unfortunate run in with All Might.

Up ahead was the police station across the far end of the plaza. More specifically, the police department my dad worked at.

Dad was busy nowadays with a case that was expanding all across the country, working closely with the heroes who came in with dozens of reports on incidents that occurred in public places. The police were working hard on gathering information for the heroes who were using their connections to piece together the puzzle of all these connected incidents.

Mom asked me to deliver him his lunch, so after one quick trip to the house, I hurried towards the public street plaza and texted a message to dad that I was out here with a container full of delicious food. All Might's appearance meant that he was only here to deliver the criminal to the police.

Him being in the same space as me was only a coincidence.

 _'He's not some omnipotent stalker, idiot.'_

Before I could think about standing up and heading elsewhere because the commotion was bothersome and I wouldn't be able to concentrate on my book, All Might happened to turn his head in my general direction. There was a moment where the older man faltered a little, but then his grin widened and the rest of his body rotated towards me.

And that's when I decided to nope the fuck on out of there, power walking away after hastily grabbing my stuff.

I was forever grateful for the perfect moment when the scent of coffee beans and aftershave drifted around my nose, leading me in the correct path to where dead was coming from. I greeted him with a wave when I got close enough for him to pick me out from the crowd.

"Aw, thanks bud." dad's large hand ruffles my dark hair.

"I packed some extra snacks in case you want to nibble on something while you're working." I said while pushing back my hair in place.

Whatever dad wanted to say next didn't come because he finally noticed the people gathered around All Might. I didn't dare look towards his direction, instead pretending to fiddle with my book and backpack.

"All Might's been popping up here and there at the police stations all over the city." dad said while watching the crowd and hero.

"Mm." I hummed.

Dad's police department was stationed here as a strategic point since most highly populated parts of the city meant higher crime rates. And not seeing the surprised look on dad's face when catching sight of All Might meant the Pro hero was becoming a regular of the police station.

"Want me to ask for his autograph?"

Shrieks, crowds, blood, sickness, a hollowed husk of flesh.

"No." I mumbled, pivoting towards the opposite direction. "I'll see you later at the house."

I felt dad's hand briefly brush against the back of my neck, soothing and warm to the touch until the fingers slipped away.

"Yeah. Okay. Stay out of trouble, bud."

With nothing more to say, I left dad and headed out of the street plaza that was getting too rowdy for my taste. The scene All Might was causing with his approach to the police department was making everyone go excited with energy, so I hurried on out unless I wanted to be dragged by a tidal wave of people looking to get his autograph and picture.

Not even thirty minutes later someone was calling my name.

"Sengoku-kun!" All Might—in his twig form—waved at me from behind. I stopped and waited for him to catch up.

No longer dressed in the colorful hero costume he was usually seen wearing, the tall blond somewhat blended in with the rest of the pedestrians going about their business with his baggy suit and tie. It was a dark blazer and slacks with a navy blue dress shirt and red tie, all of which looked to be of quality work from the more expensive stores in the wealthy districts of the city. This was kind of a surprise to me considering what other gaudy suits I've seen him wear on television.

"No banana suit?"

All Might halted abruptly, taking a moment to comprehend what I said before it clicked. "You don't like my golden pinstripe suit?"

From the collar of his dress shirt, I caught a hint of his costume which I pointed out for him. He quickly reacted in buttoning up the rest of his collared shirt and pulled his tie closer to his neck to appear more decent rather than be seen as some haggard-looking salaryman. It wouldn't do him any favors if someone who cared enough to look would wonder why such a scrawny man would be wearing something like a colorful costume under his business suit. Maybe they would mistake him for another fan of All Might's, but better to play it safe than leave people wondering.

"Whoever told you that mustard monstrosity looked dapper on you is a moron and deserves a bullet to the face." I glowered unmercifully to the stunned blond as my lips curled in disgust. "Don't _EVER_ come near me wearing that clown suit, or I swear to God I will murder you in your sleep! I _know_ where you live!"

All Might spewed blood, dramatically backing away from me while clutching at the front of his dress shirt like I'd punched him in the heart or something. "So violent!"

My disgruntled face was the only response I gave him before turning back to the trek down the sidewalk. The taller man easily caught up with me with a couple of quick strides thanks to his long legs.

"You're in a mood today."

"It's called teenage angst." I supplied.

"My teenage angst usually involved recreational drug use and loud music to drive the neighbors nuts." All Might divulged to me.

If it hand't been for the split second irregularity of his pulse and the lightness of his tone, I would have honestly stopped functioning so I could gawk after the older man like I was a brat who'd been finally sat down and given "The Talk" while also learning the origins of babies. The ludicrous idea of a grungy-looking teenage All Might made me want to break out into hysterical laughter, not caring for the disturbed looks I would garner, but then straight jackets would get involved and I didn't want to have that. No thanks.

Quickly composing myself, I retaliated by giving the tall blond a once over before delivering my attack.

"Wow All Might, I'm sure if Dr. Phil was still around he'd be more than happy to talk to you about your life choices."

My comment sent All Might into a laughing frenzy. He laughed so hard that it caused him to go into a coughing fit where blood dribbled messily down his chin. Acting quickly, I grabbed some of the napkins I kept in my bag (something I started to carry around from how many times we both accompanied each other) and offered them to the thin man. While he worked to clean himself, I gently took him by the elbow and steered him away from the prying eyes of the people who were staring at us like we were a pair of entertainers.

"Sorry." I apologized.

"No, no," All Might shook his head as he wiped away the last bits of blood from his chin then tucked them into the pocket of his suit. "Just pulled a muscle or something. Not your fault. If anything, I should be sorry I caused a scene like that."

"You dummy." I sighed, shaking my head at All Might's incessant need to take the blame over every trivial thing.

...

"Ah," All Might pulled the water bottle away from his face. "So your father is involved with the street drug case?"

Like I suspected earlier, All Might had been caught off guard with my presence. I held myself back from slugging his arm when the blond playfully wondered out loud if I was obsessively overshadowing him ("You're not that special, you mouthy totem pole!") because I had to remember he was only skin and bones like this. The both of us were sitting on a random park bench beneath the cherry blossom trees which constantly rained pink petals. I had to wipe myself every thirty seconds, but All Might didn't seem to mind being buried underneath it all.

"You look like a fucking sunflower in the middle of a pink field." I told him in a spiteful tone (probably still feeling petty about being called a stalker).

"I never knew you to be so poetic, young Sengoku." All Might beamed at me. "You're like a modern day Oscar Wilde."

The urge to attack him with arm slugs was intense, but I persevered like a champ. Instead, I retaliated by grabbing a handful of fallen pink petals then flung them at his still smiling angular face.

"Freaking smartass..." I mumbled as I cursed All Might under my breath, pretending to ignore the giggling man sitting beside me.

Back to the important topic, I explained to All Might about dad's frequent absence from the house. Sure, jobs like being a police officer and a doctor wasn't suppose to be easy, and I couldn't count how many times I saw mom almost drag herself back inside the house, gobble up whatever was inside the fridge, pass out on the couch because the stairs were too daunting a task to climb, and then repeating the whole thing next morning. It was almost like that for dad, but with the street drug expanding to the urban parts of Musutafu, the station was calling in everyone they could get their hands on to bust it.

"I haven't really been paying attention, so I didn't know what was happening until my folks and cousin started asking me questions." I pulled out my phone and flicked through the old messages I got. "They're asking me stuff like if I noticed kids in my class talking about this stuff called—"

"Trigger."

"Yeah," I nodded in confirmation. "My mom told me that the obvious symptom was the black tongues they have."

"Yes. I am familiar with the case." All Might nodded as he closed the cap of his water bottle. "But I'm not actually a part of it."

Kind of a surprise to learn because when was All Might not a part of something? But then again, he was too recognizable and he was under constant scrutiny, so it made sense. Reconnaissance and stealth were two things that All Might was not, for he was built to take on dangerous criminals with equally dangerous quirks, subduing them with force that was loud and colorful.

The underground heroes thrived in subtlety and patience from the shadows they hid in, biding their time until an opportunity was presented for them to strike. Given the circumstances, All Might didn't have a lot of time which therefore exempted him from doing any behind-the-scenes business.

"You should be careful from now on." All Might warned. "Another thing the drug does is leave the afflicted with loss of cognition. I ended up hospitalizing dozens of people who turned out to be innocent victims. Some whack job thought it'd be a fun idea to infect several bystanders and watch what would happen."

Well, shit. Taishirō told me once that it was bad, but I had no idea to what extent.

So busy wallowing and tuning out the rest of the world, I didn't notice the shift of danger lingering around everyone's head besides the typical criminals running around snatching purses and robbing banks. Talking about this was kind of exhausting me, and I could only imagine how dead tired dad and Taishirō were feeling from working over time to solve the case and arrest whoever was distributing this dangerous shit to the public.

There was plenty of kids I knew from Jakku who didn't hide their addiction to nicotine and ecstasy pills, so I knew it was only a matter of time when something would happen to my school (if it hadn't reached the school already). It also didn't bode well that it was a school full of delinquents who wouldn't think twice about doing stupid shit in the aim of being the top dog of the school. I didn't want to imagine such an outcome where people within the vicinity were caught up in the violence, leading to many being injured—or worse.

"This keeps getting better and better." I scowled while rubbing my face in irritation at the grim news.

My dour mood made me indulge in pinching the skin of my jaw so I could pull it back. Meanwhile, All Might watched the proceedings with childlike fascination written plainly on his gaunt face.

"Do you ever think about running away to join the circus?"

"Sometimes," came my lackluster response. I released the skin and blinked when it slapped noisily back into place. "Why? You looking to recruit?"

A quiet chuckle erupted from the man when he turned away from me to stare down at his water bottle, tracing the contours of the object. "Yeah. I'd pick you."

I knew he was no longer referring to the imaginary circus. Upon reflection, not once have I heard of him talk about his search for the next person to inherit his quirk. No one from work, from school, or even from the streets caught his eye thus far... unless he really wasn't looking around as ardently as he should. It was to my realization that there was a reason why he's been going out of his way to keep in touch with me.

At first I thought it was because I knew too much. People were dangerous these days, so of course his secret needed to be protected at all costs. But then why risk telling me One for All even after I refused? Us keeping each other company was not some whim on All Might's part. What he wanted from me was quite clear.

I groaned internally when Coach Sorasu's words came rushing back out again, causing me to pinch the bridge of my nose.

"I never asked you."

Bright blue eyes rolled over towards my spot. "Asked me what?"

Tangerine and electric blue connected.

"Why do you want _me_?"

Saying it out loud was like admitting to something you feared acknowledging. I was reminded of the glittering river, the day where I first met All Might and saw him at his most vulnerable. His marred skin with its angry red blotches creeping along the staples and branches, his gaunt face watching me, and his illuminating blues dimming when I turned my back on him. I pretended that the words said by the riverside didn't happen... but pretending was never my strongest suit.

"I'm an asshole." I went on. "I'm like the black thundercloud coming to rain on everyone's parade, I sure as hell ain't the friendliest neighborhood rubber brat coming to walk old ladies across streets or rescue cats stuck up trees, and I'm not—"

Ǐ̽̆̊̽̊̿͏̹͙̯̥̹t̜ͫ͊̔̓̀'̄ͯ͟ͅs̰̯̮̰̪̒̀ ̶̯͍̼̬́̀̆͋̒̌͆ő̦͇͕͆̑k̛ͣͣ̑̈́a̞͔͐ͤ̈́̓y͈̦͉̬̤̖̕

"I'm not strong."

This all had to be a joke. A fucking big cosmic joke where some Higher Power was laughing at me, and the irony of this was not lost to me. Was the universe out of whack because of me? Did me being born, existing, and killing off an innocent person burden me with Izuku's responsibility? Why didn't it choose me if the universe wanted to right itself because of my actions? Why was my life more important than Izuku's?

Izuku was all for helping the less fortunate and powerless, his personality fierce and bright that it would put the sun to shame, and he was more than determined to prove everyone wrong that he could become a hero.

Meanwhile, I was the bitter, foul-mouthed bastard who mocked everyone behind their backs then ducked for cover when they wanted to start a fight. I was the type of person who would shut his eyes and close his ears when they were moments away from crashing and burning.

"I want you to inherit One for All because even after everything, from being ridiculed, brushed aside, and persecuted because of your family," All Might gazed imploringly at me. "You're still a good boy, Sengoku-kun."

All Might looked back towards the street where people went about their own business, oblivious of the Pro hero's presence who remained hidden in plain sight. I followed his gaze and watched the businessmen and women, the students, the parents, the children, the occasional police officer, a group of patrolling heroes, the slackers, and all sorts of people from different shapes, sizes, and color going to and fro in front of All Might and I.

"Remember what I said? Why I smile all the time?"

"You told me it was to trick yourself because you feel afraid."

"Yes." All Might nodded. "And I wasn't the only one. Except you were too busy lecturing me to worry about myself rather than worry about others."

All I saw was an idiot who forced himself to smile so much that his face became stuck that way, laughing that plastic laugh it made my ears hurt, and smelling heavily of the thick copper exuding from his breath whilst his body burned so hot I half expected him to burst into flames. And I could hear his single lung that was without its partner, struggling to inhale the air as much as it could before being forced to banish it, working over time for the person struggling to breathe. All Might was so bold and strong outside that no one noticed how hurt and desperate he was from within.

I had been a shaking mess who was coughing up junk from my throat. Yet one look at the giant fool with the flashy mask and laughing that hollow laugh in front of me and I lost it, becoming an angry creature.

At the time, I forgot for a moment who I was yelling at.

Instead of a great, big man with an equally great, big bluff, there stood a stubborn boy who refused to be moved by the doubts thrown at his face.

"You were scared and yet you admonished me for not looking after myself because of the danger I constantly put myself in due to my line of work. You were so scared and still you ran directly into the fray, for the boy captured by the villain, when even the heroes—myself included—watched on helplessly."

No, I wanted to tell him, I was just fed up with watching that I decided to take action because everyone was too busy gawking and lamenting. I wanted to tell him I saved Bakugō for selfish reasons. There was so much I wanted to tell him but my damn mouth, my goddamn mouth, wouldn't open up and let the words out.

"You're an asshole, Sengoku-kun. But you've got heart." All Might turned to me again. "You told me awhile back that someone who's never known power is the kind of person who deserves One for All the most. While one part of me understands, and believe me I understand it perfectly, another part can't help but disagree with you."

 _'What...?'_

"It's true that anyone born with a quirk doesn't respect the power they've been gifted with, and as a result a lot of them grow up believe their quirk goes above and beyond all else's. But you... You've got an amazing quirk and yet you treat it like it's something you've been burdened with. You're so young yet you're able to look beyond its power and recognize the weaknesses, the faults, the fear rather than focus solely on its strengths. You're able to comprehend something only a handful of people and veterans can get."

Ǐ̽̆̊̽̊̿͏̹͙̯̥̹t̜ͫ͊̔̓̀'̄ͯ͟ͅs̰̯̮̰̪̒̀ ̶̯͍̼̬́̀̆͋̒̌͆ő̦͇͕͆̑k̛ͣͣ̑̈́a̞͔͐ͤ̈́̓y͈̦͉̬̤̖̕

Electric blue spheres illuminated from the shadows of All Might's sunken face bore into me like a tidal wave, crashing against the bricks, stones, concrete, and iron I erected a long time ago to keep the world out and leaving myself in isolation. The gate that had been boarded up and chained groaned ominously, the wooden turning damp and dripping with each wave crashing against it.

"Why _wouldn't_ I pick you?"

Because—

I didn't want to face another day of people wanting to hurt me. I didn't want to make my mom cry. I didn't want to trouble Kawaki-sensei. I didn't like forcing myself to get up everyday. I didn't know what to do with Izuku's box. I didn't want to dream about hearing Midoriya Inko's wailing cries. I didn't like feeling energetic and bouncy. I didn't want to see Bakugō's frightened eyes. I didn't want to see a blood red sky with vultures circling above me. I didn't deserve to be here. I didn't deserve to stand in this spot next to All Might. I didn't believe in heroes.

And I'm not one of them.

 _"So what's your_ excuse _from facing your own?"_

I grabbed my hammer and continued to barricade the wall, creating more cement and cutting down more trees to build up the wall that kept everything from outside crashing down on me.

"I have to go." I spoke in a hushed tone, forcing myself to slide off the wooden table top of the bench we occupied. "I... I have to go home."

"Sengoku—"

"I-I'll see you later."

Don't look back, I told myself. Don't look back or else the abyss will swallow you whole again.

An hour later, after I walked through the threshold of my house and closed the door behind me, I realized I forgot my backpack.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Kawaki-sensei was cross with me but understood that some things couldn't be helped.

 _'The one time I actually put my phone in my backpack, this happens.'_ I shake my head in exasperation.

I wondered if All Might noticed my stuff and did me a solid by dropping it off at the police station where dad worked, but then again the backpack was sort of hidden on the bench seats behind us, so I didn't have any high hopes of seeing my stuff again.

The temptation to thump my head against the hard surface of the table in front of me was strong but I resisted.

Sitting in the farthest and isolated corner of the cafeteria, I slowly nibbled on my food as I stared at the stained wallpaper surrounding the area. I reached for another grape but my fingers scraped the empty lunch box. Brought back to earth, I inspected my empty lunch box which followed by the sound of snickering coming from a little ways down the long table.

Kamitsuku was happily munching away on the green grapes my mom packed for me while the rest of his flunkies finished my chips and chicken salad sandwiches. The jackass crew even had the audacity to throw a wink and mockingly salute me with their drinks before a delightful laughter surrounded their space.

"Dammit, are you freaking kidding me ?" I complained while glaring after the morons.

Back then when my food was taken from me, I would have to either go to the vendor machines or wait until I got back home to eat something because my money was always the next thing to be stolen as well.

But now I was goddamn tired of people making me go hungry and broke.

My chair scraped noisily when I rushed to my feet.

"HEY, YOU FAIRY-POMPED SHITFACE!"

Everyone in the cafeteria who minded their own business, chattering amongst one another, trading stories about the other groups and schools they've fought against, or whatever sort of thug life they got going on weekends, went dead quiet at the shrill voice.

Kamitsuku froze from taking another step, wondering for a split second who those words were directed to until it came to him that yes, someone was indeed calling him out.

"Ah?" the pompadour teen glared murderously over his shoulder.

Every step closer to Kamitsuku and his gang was every step closer towards the timer about to go off and explode. Everyone watched, eyes greedily soaking in the dangerous aura as they reached for their phones in preparation of recording the fight.

When the gap between them was close enough, everything and everyone went still like a play finally unveiling its curtains to begin the act.

Meanwhile, I was left standing from the side like an idiot.

"Who the fuck is this pipsqueak, Kamicchi?"

The kid calling out Kamitsuku looked like a first-year student given how baby-faced he appeared. He was indeed a pipsqueak seeing as he barely reached to the level of my chest. There was a mousy look to him, and I mean it in a literal since, with his fuzzy ears sitting atop his head and dark, twitchy nose, not to mention the big dark eyes that looked seconds away from becoming watery.

"Ah, dunno." Kamitsuku shrugged his shoulders while his lips curled in a cruel manner towards the mousy boy he easily loomed over. "I don't remember a lot of shit stains I walk past on the way to school."

Unlike all the other times when people edged away from Kamitsuku, especially the unlucky kids who came to this school because it was the closest to their area, the mousy boy boldly stepped forward without fear.

"For the past two months, I had to deal with you! You and everyone of these assholes in this shithole school!" the boy loudly proclaimed without an ounce of regret, uncaring of the danger he was putting himself in by antagonizing all the people who wouldn't hesitate in putting the small boy in a hospital. "I came here to tell you this: you push me around again and I'll make you sorry, you bag of dicks!"

"What'd that little shit say?"

"I got rodent repellent at my house..."

"Forget that spray shit, get a giant mouse trap and stick his head in!"

The brave mouse boy wasn't finished. "I came here to tell you jackasses that I'm not taking any of your crap anymore!"

" _Ahh_?" one of Kamitsuku's goons stepped closer to the smaller boy. "The fuck are you gonna do? You gonna cry? You gonna tattle on us, you pussy? You gonna _rat_ us out?"

"No," the boy responded with a low, dangerous tone. "I'm going to take care of you myself."

I winced at the cacophony of laughter bouncing all around the cafeteria. All around me, everyone threw their heads back and laughed obnoxiously in a loud, exaggerated manner. Seeing movement back at the center, I darted back only to freeze when I noticed the mouse boy grab something from the bag he was carrying.

Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland came rushing into my mind's eye.

For as long as I could remember in my previous life, I had been living moderately safe until my freak death accident. However, like any other Millennial, I had been living under constant fear of my school becoming the next target of a school shooting. It was a threat so profound that it left every student feeling like we were all standing on an execution platform with a noose drooping low: you can see it but you don't know if it'll be you who gets lynched.

My mother worried herself sick over me and the rest of my family, constantly calling my aunts and uncles and asking how they were dealing with their children since most of them had little ones starting elementary schools. I can never forget how scared one of my cousins came back home, telling his mother that he can't bring his light sneakers or the shooter will find him in the darkness of his classroom.

My father was grim the entire time, quietly offering advice such as using the desks to barricade the doors, breaking the windows to escape, and using the school text books to shield myself from the flying bullets.

Ever watchful of the news programs and internet that kept me up to date with what was going on outside my community, there was always a story of why the shooter went and did what they did. There was the "quiet" person who was outwardly normal until they went off on a murder spree, there was also the radical who used a religion or belief as an excuse to commit violence, and then—

There was the bullied kid.

I can still remember with crystal clear clarity how murderous I felt that day in the grocery store with Izuku and Bakugō.

" _STOP_!" I lunged towards the mouse boy.

Body-slamming him from the side, we both tumbled together to floor. My larger frame squished him and I took the opportunity to fling his belongings away in case he tried to grab them.

"What the hell is Sengoku doing?"

"Get off me!" the mouse boy's muffled scream reverberated against my torso.

Making sure I had a good hold of his arms so he wouldn't escape, I lift myself off while dragging the smaller boy to his feet. He kicked and flailed around wildly, but his smaller form did nothing to break out of my strong grip.

"What the hell is this?"

Mouse boy stopped kicking and went absolutely still which made me look at whatever got him all quiet.

Another goon from Kamitsuku's group picked up the fallen item that had been hidden away in the mouse boy's bag. Whatever I was expecting to find, it wasn't the colorful face of All Might grinning back at me.

"Huh?" I blinked owlishly at the item.

It was only a cylinder tube.

"What is that?"

"Was that suppose to help that rat take on Kamicchi?"

Another round of laughter echoed across the large cafeteria room. To my astonishment, the mouse boy wasn't reacting to the people laughing at him but rather growing pale the longer he kept staring at the item still sitting on the other boy's hand. A creeping dread started to come over me, increasingly becoming alarmed because of the mouse boy's face who looked on with absolute terror. Whatever that thing was spelled bad news and I had to act quickly.

Releasing the small boy, I moved towards the other teen. "Fork it over."

"Or what?" he scoffed.

Or else he was going to lick the underside of my shoe which is exactly what happened when I stomped my foot on his face without a word and sent him flying.

The idiot crashed in a messy sprawl into a nearby table, sending food and drinks sailing across the table while splattering stains on the kids. They all reacted wildly like they've been splashed by ice cold water, crying and yelping out loud as they jumped out of their seats to avoid more spills on their person. I caught the item easily from mid-air as everyone started cursing angrily from the table I sent the jerk flying towards.

" _What the hell_?!"

"I got soba in my hair!"

"Does he want to _die_?!"

"You're a dead man, Sengoku!"

"I call dibs on the Gunnarsen Bastard!"

"Get in line, bitch!"

I had to hurry up and get rid of this thing. Carefully assessing the tube in my hold, I notice another detail besides the colorful face of the Pro hero: a button sitting at the bottom of the cylinder container. The mouse boy looked close to passing out when my finger traced the button. I couldn't smell anything since it was sealed inside, but that didn't mean I would leave my guard down.

A teacher needed to be notified of this.

"Where do ya think you're going, you fuck?" someone snarled from behind me.

An alien-looking girl with purple skin aimed to swing her bat towards me. I didn't give her the chance to attack by quickly sweeping a leg to her own, sending the mutant girl falling back on her ass. Another thug was quick to take her place, running at me with their fists eager to put me into the floor. Once again I dodged and tripped them so they could fumble and crash into another table, creating an even bigger mess.

More and more people started getting fired up and attacking me from all sides.

"Shit!" I hissed to myself.

Looking around, I found a small gap in the crowd. I ran towards the closing space, ignoring the hands and claws that grabbed my collar and sleeves that were beginning to tear from the abuse. Somebody shoved a table in an attempt to block me, but all that did was serve me as I dropped and slid beneath the table until scrambling back to my feet so I could run towards the open doors of the cafeteria entrance.

"GET BACK HERE YOU BASTARD!"

"Don't you fucking run away from me!"

"You owe me a new uniform, you shit!"

" _BASTARD_!"

Ignoring the shouts and the food thrown at me, I was getting closer and closer to the door while dodging anyone trying to get between me and the exit. Someone wanting to tackle me by the legs? I simply leaped while using their head or shoulder to push them further down to the ground until I was completely over them. Two guys trying to box me in from either side? I feint running forward until jerking away in time to avoid the collision, watching the idiots ram each other rather painfully before collapsing in a bruised heap.

A couple of flashbacks of my life from back then revealed to me the times I attended high school varsity football games. Parents and community members cheering and shouting for their players, my friends and I munching on nachos and trying not stain our pants as we ogled the hot cheerleaders shamelessly.

I never thought I'd be playing quarterback in the middle of a Japanese cafeteria full of violent assholes wanting a piece of me.

Something threatened to tug at the corner of my lips.

The doors were right ahead of me and I was closing in fast. The All Might tube was safely tucked under my arm while I dodged, dived, ducked, twirled, jumped, and continued to run towards the exit with no intent to stop.

I was almost there.

But.

My fingers felt nothing, arm flat against my side, and hand totally empty of the tube.

I didn't get far.

"Looky what Kamicchi got here."

Sea-green eyes met my horrified tangerine orbs. Past the angry and snarling faces still chasing after me, past the upturn tables and fallen chairs, past the noise and tangle of movement, Kamitsuku was holding a little cylinder tube in his hand.

"No, no, no, no..." I whispered as I shook my head. "Don't do it. Don't fucking do it!"

The dread I felt distracted me from the strike coming towards me head. I was down before I knew it and immediately surrounded by all sorts of people eager to stomp on my head and anywhere they could reach. I grunted, almost getting a mouthful of shoe myself but my jaw just slapped back into place before it was kicked at again. Through the forest of legs, I made out the image of Kamitsuku laughing as the object was thrown aside in favor of watching the spectacle.

The container was left in the possession of some other kid and his two buddies. One of them pointed at the button at the bottom.

They pressed it.

Suddenly there was a cloud full of black smothering them.

The sudden appearance ended up getting a lot of attention, others kicking me finally ceasing with their attack to wonder what the hell was going on. The shouts of outrage and profanity dimmed down, leaving only the muffled coughing coming from the three kids who unleashed the container.

And that's when all hell broke loose.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

 **. Toshinori .**

* * *

It kind of felt like he traveled back in time, or he was watching an old movie that made him feel a sense of nostalgia, or he was a person moving back to his childhood home that he left behind in his youth. Or maybe it was all of those three blended together.

U.A. was still as imposing as Toshinori remembered it being. There was an update here and there for the school to keep up with the times, but not too drastically that he'd find himself double-taking every corner he turned around the grand hallways. Everything screamed familiarity whenever his eyes glazed over to recall the faces of his classmates and teachers. Everyone shared the same dream: becoming protectors of the average citizens, committing themselves to fight harder and think smarter to outdo anything and anyone in the way of justice and peace, and all of them waiting for the chance to do good for their society.

Toshinori watched the youths that littered the halls, every single one with bright eyes and determination shining. No matter the age, he could still see the same expressions from now as he did back then when he was a student himself.

Principal Nedzu led the way back to his office, filling the air with calm discussion on what hair products he uses to keep his fur prim and proper. Same ol' Nedzu.

The pair came across a couple of teachers, all of them giving a polite nod to the short mammal. When he felt their eyes on them, they would startle a little when they realized a little late who he was and go so far as to bow in his presence.

Like he thought, they were still coming to grips in the connection between the gaunt man and the number one hero.

It had been a week since Nedzu introduced All Might to his faculty.

It had been a week since his fellow colleagues were properly introduced to Yagi Toshinori.

Every single hero gathered inside the locked room of the teacher's lounge had been stunned into silence. Present Mic, the loudest and noisiest of the bunch who wasn't afraid to break the ice, was rendered mute upon the shocking discovery of All Might's skeletal form. Even the usually unperturbed underground hero Eraserhead, the man who didn't hold back his critical views on All Might and constantly given the blond the cold shoulder, was also left without words.

Brave new world, Toshinori thought.

"Here we are." Nedzu announced.

Toshinori quickly moved to open the door for the small mammal, the principal smiling kindly while thanking the taller man as he entered the room first with the blond following close behind.

"I trust you now know your way around the premises? I won't think harshly of you if you need a map around the school grounds." Nedzu said while grabbing a pair of tea cups.

The machine on the coffee table was already boiling water.

"Shūzenji-san forced me to remember the way to her office." Toshinori joked as he patted his left leg.

The both of them were keenly aware of the old woman's tendency of beating people around the legs since she claimed it was her responsibility to beat some logic back into their empty heads for going crazy enough to end up in the hospital. Shūzenji Chiyo never relented with her admonishment, always calling him and asking if he remembered to take his prescriptions and keep up with his meals. Toshinori didn't know if he preferred her or Gran Torino's intense training.

"You seem nervous." Nedzu pointedly stared at his clammy hands.

Toshinori rubbed his hands together, trying to wipe the small sweat gathering at the palms.

"I just never imagined myself becoming a teacher," the blond responded honestly. "It's one thing to give a life lesson but..."

"It's entirely different when actually having to go in depth with the lesson." Nedzu finished for him.

The machine alerted the two being ready for their tea bags.

"You won't have to worry about starting soon. Aizawa went and expelled this year's batch of students. Including the students replacing them from 1-B and Gen Ed." Toshinori didn't know whether to be relieved or horrified of the news.

Nedzu poured them both hot water before dipping the herbs and leaves within the decorative porcelain cups while all Toshinori did was watch the proceedings in a trance-like state. The hero blinked into focus when the cup carefully slid towards him by the principal. He thanked the mammal as he picked up the cup, but he didn't take a sip of it.

He still wasn't used to drinking tea.

"You can tell me."

The blond blinked, meeting beady dark eyes that watched him from across the coffee table.

"Sir Nighteye's recommendation on Tōgata becoming your successor," Nedzu said after another sip of his tea cup. "You don't agree with him."

There was a classic grandfather clock placed on the left side of the room, out of the way from the windows where the mammal had a perfect view of the school and city beyond. Toshinori could hear the tick-tock coming from the ancient gears, blue eyes tracing the hands and roman numerals printed on the circular surface of the device. Over hundreds of years old and the gears were still turning, time was still moving, and the world continued to speed on while he was rushing to catch up.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Nedzu gently reassured him, his ever present smile still there on his furry face. "There's a lot of pressure riding on your shoulders. Picking someone to inherit One for All isn't suppose to be as simple as that."

"I know we have the data and resources, including the connections to find the right person..." Toshinori stared down at his steaming cup. "I came across young Tōgata-kun a few times. He's a bright and wonderful person. He's easy to like, incredibly friendly that people can't help gravitate towards him, doesn't feel bothered when a joke is told on his expense—I see why Nighteye and you strongly believe him to be the one to succeed me."

 _Sharp bird-like eyes glared up at him, their tainted mouth twisted in anger with their words just as scorching as their temper. It was the first time someone screamed at All Might, the pinnacle of strength and the Symbol of Peace, to go save himself rather than risk his life for theirs._

"But?" Nedzu prompted him.

A heavy sigh escaped from him, his shoulders sagging as the weight of the decision continued to crush Toshinori.

"I just don't... _feel_ it."

He didn't like how One for All was treated as some sort of ultimate prize to be won, or if he was going to quote Gran Torino: "a bunch of owners showing off their pets at a dog show". The entire situation felt unreal and cold to Toshinori.

The choosing of All Might's next successor wasn't suppose to be about who got the best quirk or scores. That's not what his old teacher was looking for when she saw him, when she heard his desires of becoming a hero despite his quirkless status, when she trained his body from sunrise to sunset, and when she thought him worthy of inheriting One for All's power.

 _"There's a hell of a difference between what's_ given _and what's_ earned _."_

Nedzu watched him for a moment longer before allowing his dark gaze to wander towards the occupied space sitting beside Toshinori. It had arrived with the blond, clinging onto one side of his shoulder as he arrived to U.A. to fill out other forms and attend meetings so he could gradually become accustomed to the school's schedules and inner workings. The hero juggled between his duty as All Might and his duty as a newbie teacher very poorly.

A dark backpack innocuously sat there next to the blond.

Many would dismiss it as something belonging to All Might, but observant people, or close acquaintances like Nedzu and Recovery Girl, would see that such a thing looked out of place with Toshinori. There was no decoration or obvious signs, but the backpack still somehow gave a vibe that it belonged to a juvenile. Besides, Nedzu and a couple of others seen Toshinori arrive to U.A. with a leather portfolio bag hanging off the side of his shoulders because the lanky man didn't have a lot to bring to school besides journals to write down some notes he could look over in a later time at his convenience.

"You found someone." Nedzu concluded.

He felt guilty going through the boy's things, but any chance of sending a message that he had young Sengoku's bag flew out the window upon the discovery of the phone sitting neatly inside one of the many pockets of the backpack. Sengoku's father was unavailable at the station due to the Trigger case and he could only assume the same must be for the mother as well, so that left him with digging through Sengoku-kun's bag until he found the boy's school ID.

Jakku Junior High.

Toshinori had stared at the name for approximately twenty-five seconds until blinking back to awareness when his eyes started to dry.

No wonder the kid didn't like to talk about school. Jakku was pretty much a dead end and invisible establishment, slowly decaying out of existence as time went on. Not only that, if Sengoku-kun's behavior was an indicator, it was a place full of troubled and violent kids. Not the best environment to be in for someone of his unfortunate circumstances.

Before he could return the backpack to its rightful owner, his phone notified him of another meeting in the U.A. building. Toshinori promised himself to head straight towards Jakku after his business in the school was finished.

"Tell me about them." Nedzu encouraged.

Toshinori grinned. Well, if the principal insisted.

"This kid is an absolute jerk," the tall blond laughed quietly. "He curses like a sailor, threatens to murder me if I wear my gold pinstripe suit around him (and says you totally deserve to be shot in the face), promises to annihilate my phone if only to get rid of my stupid ringtone—"

"Oh my!" Nedzu laughed out loud, forced to set aside his tea cup or risk his nice suit. "Sounds like quite the character!"

"I swear Gran Torino would appreciate this kid's sense of humor!" Toshinori cackled.

There was a sharp throb of pain coming from his injured side, warning the blond that his heavy laughing was going to pull something again and cause a bloody mess. Gradually calming himself, he wiped at the stray tear leaked from the corner of his eye while gaining back his composure. Nedzu snatched a tissue from the coffee table so he could dab at the small, dripping mess from the corner of his lips.

"He's—" Toshinori trailed off a little. "He's a good boy, sir."

 _The rescued hostage was breathing, coughing up the taint the villain used to keep him in check, but alive and mostly alright thanks to the effort of the other boy. Instead of praise for successfully snatching the explosive child from the villain, the sharp-eyed boy was met with hate and disdain. The unruly youngster called them out for their incompetence, screaming at the masses for finding joy in such a dangerous event, but his words fell on deaf ears._

"Even after being shunned all his life, forced to carry the burden of shame on his young shoulders, he still cares when it matters."

"All Might," Nedzu sat up straight in his seat. "Who did you choose?"

He could tell his words were sinking in heavily on the mammal, the principal speedily grasping the clues which erased candidates off the list so it would erect new faces on the billboard. It reminded Toshinori of that old BBC show about the detective who delved inside his so-called "Mind Palace" to look around the rooms which stored important and vital information. He wondered if it was the same for Nedzu.

He hoped that the revelation of his chosen candidate wouldn't be shot down before he could finish telling them the boy's name. While the blond was confidant that Nedzu wouldn't succumb to the prejudices the entire country held out for young Sengoku and his parents, it didn't erase the protective instincts he held for the boy.

The name didn't get a chance to come out.

Sengoku-kun's phone illuminated with an emergency announcement.

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Everything was absolute chaos.

Teachers were pressed tightly against the hallways as their students ran by them, a stampede where people shoved and pushed each other which resulted in people collapsing and being trampled. There was so much screaming, the terror written on their faces as they fled for their lives, unwilling to be slaughtered by the danger coming after them all.

The air was hot with smoke gathering to the ceiling, but the sprinklers hanging overhead refused to release the much needed water to put the flames that began to spread across the large space. The exit was blocked by frightened students trying squeeze in through the hallway, fearing to look back 'less they find death breathing down their necks.

Meanwhile, sitting on the floor with dirt tracks and tears on my uniform, I stared at the scene in front of me.

The three kids who stupidly pressed the button which unleashed the black smoke accidentally inhaled it.

And then they started to transform like werewolves under the first full moon. Their bodies began to shift and break, their bones growing and twisting whilst the kids screamed in pain until their eyes rolled over the back of their heads.

"Oh my God...!" I suddenly noticed the mouse boy, looking even more terrible than when I first saw him.

There was blood and swelling covering majority of his face, and he was holding one of his limp arms close to his chest. Obviously he had been trampled by the hundreds of kids wanting to get away, left behind to die.

"What the fuck is that?" I demanded. "What did you bring to school?!"

"The girl said it would help me scare these guys. She said it'd scare them if I used the drug," the mouse boy confessed, the regret painfully obvious. "I didn't mean for this! I didn't want this!"

The drug. It was the fucking Trigger drug that's been wreaking havoc across Japan! I wanted to grab the mouse guy and strangle him because he brought something into the school that resulted in three students going insane in the middle of a crowded space! Now more and more people were getting injured from the panic alone before the out-of-control afflicted could begin their attack.

"I'm sorry!" mouse boy cried.

A roar from the center put me back into focus and I yelped when a table came flying towards us.

The mouse boy shrieked while ducking his head but I quickly moved to stand and catch the table. The force made me stumble back, the weight threatening to throw me off, but I was able to stand my ground and toss the table aside. Mouse boy looked up in confusion but squeaked when I grabbed him by the scruff of his uniform and yanked him back to his feet.

"Go! Call the police, call the heroes, just call somebody!" I pushed him towards the exit.

"But—"

His protest was cut off when something fast moved from somewhere in the corner of my vision. Finding another table that was still miraculously standing upright, I kicked the ledge and sent it flipping over me in time to slam on the head of some giant face that was seconds away from chomping their big teeth on me. Being so close to the attacker, I was treated with the horrific sight of a deformed face from what used to belong to a middle schooler kid. The creature looked like a mix between a demonic horse with insect-like limbs, it's malevolent form bore an uncanny resemblance to a dark fantasy story I once read in my previous lifetime. A horse possessed by a demon which attempted to rape a girl... God, I was going to have nightmares after this!

I didn't hesitate to slam a fist on the horse's big nose, buying myself a moment until the horse-faced monster struck again.

"Go!" I shouted once more to the mouse boy before facing the three menacing Trigger victims.

What I was doing was going to break several laws and get me into so much trouble, but everyone was too busy losing their minds and the teachers were trapped in the hallways with the rest of the students so that meant I had to do something!

There was the big horse-faced creep with their clothes ripped around the torso which revealed multiple arms. The only threat they posed was the claws from their six hands and the big chompers lined up behind their grinning maw.

The other Trigger afflicted victim was a cyclops-looking troll. They were over eight feet tall, built like a dark blue-gray tank, and had Popeye-like arms which could crush a normal person. Their single eye danced across the area, looking for the next bystander to attack.

And the last one, I swallowed heavily, was the most dangerous of them all.

She looked like fire being reborn a human, or moreso of a dying star about to explode. Her flames licked the ceiling and left scorch marks near where she writhed around. Metal sitting within her range glowed red, their forms slowly falling apart from the boiling point that rose higher and higher, making it difficult to breathe with all the heat blasting around us. Her form burned away her attire, hair and arms engulfed by the flames as she screamed from the top of her lungs.

The other two Trigger victims were mindless but they were smart enough to keep away from her burning presence.

I needed to take the two others out first before I could do something to help the girl.

All Might warned me that people affected by the Trigger drug couldn't think straight, their cognition lost as they lashed out wildly like primitive animals embracing their beastly side that had been dormant for the past billions of years. As much as I would have loved nothing more than to beat them into a bloody pulp (my grudge was starting to rear its ugly head), I knew I needed to first concentrate on subduing the two boys without harming them (much) and move them to a safer location where the girl's flames couldn't reach them.

And I had to do it quickly because who knew how quickly those flames would spread.

The horse-faced boy lunged to attack me again.

Spotting a garbage can full of half-eaten food or empty plastic plates, I grabbed it and stuffed the opening onto the incoming demon horse guy's face. There was an awful screeching as the horse guy waved his head and scratched the garbage, but I didn't pay him any mind because the cyclops was on top of me.

" _WHOA_!" I scrambled away to avoid a meaty fist crashing down, leaving a small crater on the floor.

Although crazy strong, the cyclops was slow. So when the giant pivoted towards me with another another mighty swing aimed at me, I side-stepped out of the way and used the swing's momentum to throw the giant off balance. Taking him by his single wide arm, I pulled with all my strength and slammed the giant down in a flip over my shoulder, leaving more cracks on the ground with chairs flying all around us.

As strong as I was thanks to my quirk, it still wasn't up to par with giant cyclops. I had one of his arms pinned down, but the rest of him was still free. The cyclops let out another roar, already halfway sitting up until I body-slammed him back to the ground, but the trick won't work twice. Why couldn't be lucky to find a nearby rope hanging around? Oh, that's right, real life tended to do real life stuff like not provide people help when they needed it! Like the fucking _water sprinklers_!

Senses blaring all over the place, and feeling the impending doom of the fire girl who's flames were getting more and more bigger, I didn't see danger coming until its teeth was sinking into my side.

" _FUCK_!" I screamed, finding the disgusting horse face biting into my side. Just because he didn't have fangs didn't make horse teeth any less dangerous! " _AW FUCK_!"

My rubber body may hold up even after being thrown powerful blows, but sharp objects like knives and claws were still a thing I avoided getting acquainted with. The bite against my skin was muffled thanks to my clothes, but if the horse guy bit any harder, then he really was going to take a chunk out of me.

Something large and heavy closed around my head before it started to squeeze me like a fat sponge full of water.

The cyclops had his filthy claws on me, pinning me in place while the horse guy was digging deeper and deeper like a crocodile squeezing down on thick meat. Trapped between three sides of danger, I was stuck in the middle of a train wreck with nowhere to go.

What the fuck was I even thinking doing this shit?! Why did I even think it was a great idea to take these guys on?

 _'Shit, shit, shit, shit!'_ I cursed over and over. _'Why couldn't you mind your own business and run?!'_

 _They wouldn't let her see him. They said it was too gruesome for her. She cried, she begged, she screamed, she scratched and kicked, but they still wouldn't let her in. They would not let her see her son. I didn't have to be there to see her crumple to the floor, fingers bloody and hair a mess, crying openly from being denied._

 _I could hear her wailing all across the hospital, everything from the people to the machines drowned out as I heard her wailing her son's name._

No.

Never again.

 _A little obnoxious boy with messy paint coloring his shirt, a violent fanboy who declared his goal to become a hero, a brutal member of the gym determined to beat the best score as he practiced his explosions, and then a distant stranger who faded more and more into the background—_

 _Until red eyes looked towards me full of unadulterated fear, the likes of which I've never seen for as long as I'd known him._

I refused to let it happen.

This wasn't how mine or anyone else's story was going to end. No matter how cruel or fake, I was going to rip the script and tell the creator to fuck off!

Ǐ̽̆̊̽̊̿͏̹͙̯̥̹t̜ͫ͊̔̓̀'̄ͯ͟ͅs̰̯̮̰̪̒̀ ̶̯͍̼̬́̀̆͋̒̌͆ő̦͇͕͆̑k̛ͣͣ̑̈́a̞͔͐ͤ̈́̓y͈̦͉̬̤̖̕

Pulling my one free hand, I slammed my elbow harshly on the horse's nose. The sick crumbling sensation of bones breaking beneath my elbow flared inside, but I bit down the disgust and continued to dig my elbow until the horse couldn't take the pain any longer. The skin of my side vibrated from the volume, the scream coming from the horse guy who struggling to get away from me to nurse his broken nose.

"Gomu Gomu no...!"

Multiple hands flailing wildly in panic because of the injury, they didn't care about the flying arm stretching towards them until it was far too late.

" _PYTHON_!"

Trapped in my snake-like hold, the coils of my arm tightened around the horse guy to keep him from getting his claws near my exposed skin. Back to the cyclops still trying to turn my head into a deflated basketball...

With the adrenaline and desperation forcing me to act with equal ferocity, I released my grip on the cyclops and brought my free hand to my mouth.

Thumb stuck to my teeth, I inhaled a heavy dose of oxygen before blowing down on the appendage. It was hard to do so with my head still getting crushed by the heavy grip of the cyclops, but I continued to pump more and more air into my limb that steadily grew like a growing balloon until it was the size of a beach ball.

"Now," I growled between my clenched teeth. " _GET OFF ME_!"

A swing from my inflated limb knocked both the arm and cyclops back to the ground when the limb that was swung back came hurdling towards the poor bastard like a miniature wrecking ball. My head felt fuzzy from the air I expelled in inflating my arm, but I shook my head to clear it up because now was not the time.

I cried when a heavy burst of heat wave came crashing against my back I thought for a horrifying second that there were flames reaching for me, but then it was like someone closed the door of the blasting heat. Looking over my shoulder, I would have choked on my own spit had my mouth not gone dry minutes earlier.

"SENSEI?!"

Tahenkei was there, arms stretched out as columns and walls surrounded the girl on fire who continued to burn like wildfire. His glasses looked cracked and crooked, barely hanging on the bridge of his nose while he continued to keep a barrier of the heat from overflowing the rest of the cafeteria. Some waves of heat still escaped, making the clothes whip around wildly and send his dark hair flying out of his face, but even with the deadly waves, he held it back.

"Sengoku!" Kawaki-sensei came running towards me, aquamarine eyes wide and desperate. "Sengoku, you idiot!"

Her cool hands touched my face and I couldn't help but lean into her hands some more, they felt like ice packs against my burning face.

When I opened my eyes, I spotted the mouse boy standing at a safe distance. He was looking towards me, the fire girl, and back towards the fallen Trigger victims I still held down.

"We have to get them out of here." I rasped. "We can't leave them here."

"The fire department and the Water Brigade agency are on the way," Kawaki-sensei pulled at my sleeve. "They can handle this! We need to go, _NOW_!"

" _I can't leave them_!" I persisted and leaned away from her tugging. "I don't know how long Tahenkei-sensei can hold the flames back, but I don't think he'll last for much longer. We need to move these guys out! At least outside of the cafeteria!"

"These villains—!"

"They're not villains!" I shouted in frustration. "They were hit with the Trigger drug!"

" _What_?!" Kawaki-sensei cried while looking wildly back to the two monstrous-looking duo.

"Can you suck out the drug from them?" I demanded, hit with an idea when I recalled her quirk. "Can you use your quirk to remove the drug from their system? At least enough that they pass out?"

"I..." she looked back to the flaming girl. "I don't know!"

"Just try, sensei! _Please_!" I begged her. "Anything is good! Just try!"

"O-okay," she lowered herself to her knees next to the struggling horse guy. "Don't expect any miracles from me."

"You might wanna hurry it up!" Tahenkei-sensei shouted from over his shoulder.

The illuminated walls of his quirk looked like they were melting with fire blasting through. The holes were sealed, but any area that weakened was treated like paper thin walls for the flames to get through. Eyes back to the silver-haired woman, her fingers gave a glow as she touched the horse guy and started to suck him dry. When seconds went by and nothing happened, I felt disappointment growing spread across my chest.

But then my coils started to tighten as the figure in my clutches started to shrink little by little.

"It's working," I mumbled with saucer eyes watching the teacher drain the drug from the horse guy who was starting to resemble more like a human.

The demon horse appearance slowly smoothed down until a broken human-looking nose and eyes hidden behind limp dark hair fell over the guy's face. His multiple arms full of claws disappeared until there was only four arms left. Stuck in Kawaki-sensei's palms was a black, gooey substance that strongly resembled of the sludge villain from nearly a month ago, and I cringed in disgust as Kawaki wiped the slimy shit off her hands against her pants. I carefully unwrapped the unconscious boy from my hold and returned my attention to the cyclops.

"Next," I gestured to the giant.

"Right!" Kawaki-sensei quickly crawled closer to the giant, hands reaching towards him.

But then the stupid creature shot up and tried to crush her with their swollen arm. Kawaki screamed while I flung myself forward to catch the arm and slam it back down on the other side.

"STAY _DOWN_!" I roared.

With me trapping one arm, the other was free to swing around. Any attempt to subdue the poor bastard became unfounded because the last thing I expected to see was someone tackling the other arm.

"K-Kamitsuku!"

The jackass no longer had his pompadour up, hair in disarray as it fell and framed his face. He actually looked less of a jerk without the ridiculous hairdo. I spotted something in his hands and realized it was a long strip of some torn up water hose that Kamitsuku must have taken from somewhere in the shabby hallways of the school. It looked worn and old from age, but I said nothing as the other teen wrapped it wildly around the cyclops' arm and tossed the remaining strand left to me so I could also wrap it around the other limb.

Together, we were able to pull the arms closer to the creature's chest to keep them restrained, but the cyclops began to buck wildly. It pulled at the restraints which unfortunately appeared as though it was about to be ripped before Kawaki-sensei could even get a chance to use her quirk on the volatile victim in our grasp. Looking around wildly for anything we could use to keep the cyclops at bay, I spotted something lying halfway across the room near the food catering window abandoned by the lunch ladies.

"The lemon!" I pointed at the fruit. "Kamitsuku, the lemon!"

Thankfully I didn't have to explain why the fruit was so important because the other boy didn't hesitate to go with the idea. Or maybe he also was thinking of the same idea once I pointed it out for him. Snatching it from its original spot, Kamitsuku bit into the fruit so that its insides were exposed.

Spitting out the skin, he aimed the lemon at the roaring cyclops and squeezed the sour liquid into their great, big eye.

The both of us were yanked forward, tripping over our feet when the cyclops howled while trying to rub the burn of their eye. With the opening we were aiming for presented to us, I called to the silver-haired woman who kept a careful distance from Kamitsuku, the cyclops, and myself.

"Sensei!"

Kawaki practically threw herself towards the giant and slammed her hands on their chest, sucking out the Trigger drug as fast she could while being careful not to absorb any of the substance into herself. The last thing anyone needed was Kawaki-sensei going crazy and draining everyone dry with her enhanced quirk.

Just like the horse guy, the cyclops shrank down until his dark skin faded back to a normal blue shade and his Eye of Sauron was no longer screaming death and murder. Clothes tattered beyond repair, he was almost butt naked lying on the broken floor, so Kamitsuku for once did the noble thing in removing his uniform jacket to cover the unconscious teen.

Now, I turned back towards the main issue, we had to take care of the girl on fire.

"Her fire is out of control!" Tahenkei-sensei cried. "I can't hold her back any longer!"

Distant sirens were wailing, growing louder by the seconds. "I hear the fire trucks coming!"

"Sh-she's going to combust," mouse boy stammered. "Sensei, if you let her go now she's going to bring the entire building down! She could even kill herself if she continues on like this!"

I felt my relief instantly die and get burned away inside the girl's fire. "You gotta be fucking kidding me!"

Turning back to the unconscious boys and the exit, I snarled and curse when I saw heads peeking inside, watching us all with some even recording it with their phones.

"GET OUT OF HERE, YOU IDIOTS!" I screamed at them.

Whirling away, I ducked down and grabbed one boy and shoved him into Kamitsuku's startled arms. Kawaki-sensei didn't bother to wait for me and hauled the other boy over her arms, and mouse boy made himself useful by grabbing the other arm to pull over his shoulder and help drag the kid away.

"Get these guys and those fucking morons out of the building!" I ordered.

"What are you gonna do?" mouse boy squeaked.

A quick glance towards the girl and the position she was in, an idea bloomed and I grabbed mouse boy.

"When you get out there, tell the fire department and the Water Brigade to take position outside the window behind the girl." I pointed at the large window frame directly behind the flaming girl that had a full view of the track field. "Tell them to get their water hoses and quirks ready!"

"You're going to send her out the fucking _window_?!" Kamitsuku sputtered in shock.

" _YOU_ got any bright ideas?!" I shouted at him. "Because it's either that or letting everyone die a horrible, blazing death!"

"No one is going to die!" Kawaki-sensei responded hastily, not wanting to consider such a horrible outcome despite standing in the midst of one.

"You're right," I agreed then turned towards the direction of my other teacher and the girl on fire. "Because I'm going to make damn sure nobody dies today!"

Because I wasn't going to let another parent lose their child, not if I could help it. Pushing the others to leave, I started for Tahenkei-sensei while removing what remained of my already tattered uniform jacket. Tearing up the cloth in half, I wrapped the fabric around hands while dousing them in spilled over drinks and water bottles left behind by the hasty group of fleeing students.

"You should save yourself!" the brunette choked out, arms trembling and looking burned from the heat bearing down on his exposed skin.

"There's a lot of things I should have done," I said to him as I stared at the figure engulfed in flames as they writhed around like a human possessed. "But somebody told me to not let my life be full of regrets."

Ǐ̽̆̊̽̊̿͏̹͙̯̥̹t̜ͫ͊̔̓̀'̄ͯ͟ͅs̰̯̮̰̪̒̀ ̶̯͍̼̬́̀̆͋̒̌͆ő̦͇͕͆̑k̛ͣͣ̑̈́a̞͔͐ͤ̈́̓y͈̦͉̬̤̖̕

"I'm not going to let you guys become another one on my list."

The brunette stared at me like he was seeing me for the first time. In the beginning, he kept his distance like he did with everyone else while working at Jakku. He was the guy everyone relied on when it came to monitoring the hallways, his quirk perfect in separating rowdy kids by quarantining them. The few times we spoke was only during history classes seeing as I was one of the few likely to participate in his lessons while everyone more or less slept through his period.

We flinched when the windows behind the fire broke, letting in the powered water to make an opening wide enough. Mouse boy did me a favor in directing the trucks towards the back window, and the teacher and I felt small splashes of moisture touch our faces with steam filling the room while black smoke escaped from the shattered window.

"You ready?" Tahenkei-sensei asked. His arms were trembling and I didn't know it was from anticipation or his waning strength.

"When I say bazooka—"

"Ba- _what_?"

"—let your quarantine go."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

 **. Toshinori .**

* * *

Even from a distance, he can see the black pillar of smoke and hear the hundreds of screaming children blending with the sirens. Firefighters and heroes alike were all parked in one section of the school building rather than surrounding it as a whole in order to contain the fire, but whatever the case, it was swarmed heavily of costumed and geared men and women while middle school students were scattering like a mess of leaves in autumn.

The teachers were no better, all them disorganized and barely paying any mind to the officials trying to calm them down and direct them in a safe manner.

They all were tripping over their feet when they shoved each other to save themselves, people risking more harm by trampling one another.

Toshinori didn't hesitate to run straight towards it.

Somewhere in the crowd of frightened civilians was a boy.

A boy who must have been as frightened as any other person.

Every direction he looked, he could not spot a tall boy with sharp tangerine eyes. Even as the kids screamed at him to move, hands pushing him harshly aside, Toshinori still looked around.

" _SENGOKU_!"

 _ **KA-BOOOM!**_

Everyone ducked on their hands and knees when a great, big ball of inferno flew out the window from where the fire trucks and Water Brigade were waiting under. There was a louder chorus of screams, and Toshinori winced when a girl from close by gave a shrill cry of absolute terror while pressing herself closer to the earth like it would help keep the flames away. The blond winced at the rush of heat flying over his head and shoulders until the sound of flames clashing with water deafened the screams.

A great fog of evaporated water engulfed them all, the field of vision obscured as his face became wet and his clothes grew damp from absorbing the condensation flowing all around the air. With the students, faculty, and policemen still ducking their heads, children crying, Toshinori shot to his feet and called out for the boy's name. It was clear, it was somewhat quiet, surely this time the boy could hear him?

"YOUNG SENGOKU!"

No shout, no cry, no voice to echo back; Toshinori felt the creeping ice climb higher upon his spine, his injury throbbing painfully like it was taunting him. This is what he got for wasting away those precious hours.

There was a commotion coming from somewhere near the building's entrance where the students escaped from. Firefighters and a pair of heroes came running out, arms waving away the fog.

A man with dark hair and soot-covered face was dragged out, legs trailing behind him while he was carried away. A woman with silver hair came running towards him but was halted by a policeman.

And Toshinori heard it.

A voice.

A familiar one.

He made for the entrance.

Toshinori could hear him _crying_.

"Step back!" an officer shouted at him.

Someone grabbed his arm and kept him from getting any closer.

"I—"

A group of firefighters came rushing out; the familiar cry that rang well to Toshinori's ears made the drums inside tremble when the sound was coated with something that he never usually associated with when he thought of the boy's voice.

It sounded painful.

Brutally, agonizingly painful.

Finally, like he had been waiting for a lifetime to see their face, Toshinori found Sengoku.

The boy was being led out on a stretcher carried by several firefighters.

What he saw made the older man recoil at the sight.

Sengoku, covered in soot and clothes completely torn, blood stains coated on the side of his white shirt, was crying heavily with his charred black arms lying limp beside his tall frame.

He could smell the burnt skin all the way from where he stood.

The tea Toshinori drank earlier inside Nedzu's office ended up staining his shoes and the sidewalk.

* * *

Sorasu - His name means "To turn away, To avert". It's also kind of an English play on the word "Sloth". As you can guess, his quirk is sloth.

Ishō - Her name means "Design". Her quirk is like creating a plan or inventing a blueprint of stuff. You can say she would be the ideal architect if you want someone to design your house.

Tahenkei - His name means "Polygon". His quirk is to create barriers, quarantines essentially. When I imagine his barriers, I think of Bleach kidō techniques such as Rikujōkōrō combined with Roppō Fūjin. What I'm saying is, his barriers look pretty cool in my head but sound boring when I write it down.


	10. Chapter I: Entrust

**A/N:** Dear God, that last chapter was longer than the 14,000 one. It was literally over 18,000 guys! Sure, I was kind of procrastinating the last couple of days, plus I was tired because I've been working longer hours at my job (but hey, extra money to go in my pocket), but when I actually got down to it... Jeez! And I still had more I wanted to write but decided to end it on that cliffhanger!

My fingers ached after I uploaded the chapter. Man that was intense stuff! I wish someone invented a convenient device where all my thoughts on the story writing plot could be easily uploaded into my computer, but whatever. This is obviously a sign of my devotion to this fandom, duh! I just really, REALLY love BN/MHA guys. And I'm really, REALLY glad you guys (except the ppl who cry and whine) like this story! Anyway, as a heads up you all ought to reread the previous chapter because most of the time I do go back and rewrite and tweak the stuff because of typos and stuff of similar taste to make it more easy for people to read without breaking the flow.

So now we're finally getting down to business! Enough of the slice-of-life bits and onto the spicy shit because you guys are practically drooling to see what's going on with Kuzan and his moody life!

 ** _RiIl,_** I am an American. And you arguing with me proves my point. And I already had this discussion with stopping the politic business. _YOU_ need to stop bringing it up.

 ** _Prince,_** Dude, I love you and I know you love Kuzan, and I didn't write this chapter to be mean... but... ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 ** _redskin122004,_** About that...

 ** _Galarvis,_** Thanks a bunch. Writing the interactions between Kuzan and All Might is actually my favorite thing to do when making the story. I thought at first it was going to be hard, but then once I got their mixed personalities to clash, it ended up being the way people read it: sarcastic wit, insecurities, an understanding from one above the world and the other on the bottom. It's both amazing and very complex, I love it.

 ** _LewtonSpoons,_** I feel as though you wanted to say more but were too excited to write it all down, so I'll say thanks and feel proud that you liked this chapter.

 ** _Without Sleep,_** Don't you worry, time is random but this story will keep on delivering. :)

 _ **Guest,** _Don't you worry about Kuzan, he'll be okay!

 ** _framfrit,_** I'm not a Fairy Tail fan and I'm not interested in the fandom, but I still appreciate you liking this story and it's somewhat original take on Canon Divergence.

 ** _Paul Garros,_** Yeah I put some Vigilante references here and there in the story. It's not a major thing but they play an important role into this story.

 ** _Rainbow79094,_ **This is like "I just came here for a good time and I feel honestly attacked" vibes written all over it but in a good way. I'm doing a good job then! _FTW_!

 _ **PatAbreu,** _Yes, yes. We all wish Kuzan well. I bet if there was a way to give presents, he'd be overrun with gifts of soft blankets and messages from you readers that he is well loved and respected in this story's universe.

 _ **Haruhi330,** MWUAAHAHAHAHAHA_~! FEEL MY FICTIONAL WRATH!

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter I: Part IV**

 **.**

* * *

 _There was so many of them._

 _Whenever I was over at his apartment, if there wasn't a special broadcast playing on the television, or he wasn't watching that All Might video for the millionth time, I would find him sitting hunched over on his desk furiously writing in an open journal about some quirk that caught his eye. There was a section of the bookshelf that was dedicated to Izuku's journals on his quirk analysis._

 _Izuku had ideas. If he understood how the quirk functioned, its strengths and weaknesses, he could come up with so many ideas on how it could be utilized in the best ways possible in order to combat villains._

 _I felt flattered that he had one journal dedicated to my dual quirks. My powers were considered a rare case because of the somewhat combination of my mom and dad's quirks. So Izuku worked furiously in his free time to help me check every nook and cranny when it came to my rubber powers and how it could benefit my Sentinel abilities he was already familiar with. The memories of One Piece and Izuku's careful analysis bloomed a discovery of what possibilities my quirk could do if put into action._

 _All of that became a slap in the face when I stared into the open box._

 _Izuku's collection of journals, the physical proof that showed his dedication and hard work on discovering the inner workings of every quirk, were left behind by his mother. The message from Midoriya Inko was crystal clear to me._

 _My friendship, my encouragement to the gym, helping Izuku train for when he wanted to enroll in U.A. High School..._

 _She blamed me for it._

 _I knew. I knew that she hated me... but I didn't want to see this._

 _It made me feel like my insides were being torn apart, the pain from my arm nothing compared to the pain coming from inside me, strangling my lungs and the bones shrinking to squeeze my heart._

 _The sky now dark and the moon high up, I remained at the sidewalk with the box still open with Izuku's Hero Analysis journals stacked away along with a few All Might posters and an action figure. Several cars went down the street, people minding their own business while blatantly ignoring the hunched over form that sat next to a box, no one wanting to involve themselves in whatever troubles a stranger was experiencing alone._

 _Crying was becoming an exhausting effort for all my tears were spent behind closed doors where no one could hear them beyond my house._

 _There was a scent that was familiar yet tangled in something foreign, a kind of a different that was not welcome to me. The sound of their shoes scraping against the concrete grew in volume the closer they reached my location. Finally, they stopped right beside me and the box._

 _"Your mother is worried sick about you," dad said quietly._

 _"... forgot my phone."_

 _A heavy sigh was released, and I bowed my head to avoid inhaling the alcohol mixing with his breath. I wasn't the only one who was shutting himself away. Dad started to come home later and later until it was in the early hours of the morning, stinking of booze. Mom would be waiting for him with a sharp tongue-lashing to give her husband, but his alcohol-addled mind allowed his loose tongue to strike back in retaliation._

 _I knew I was the reason why they snapped at each other, why they tore each other apart, it's the reason why I rarely left my room because I didn't want to listen to them lash angrily at one another. My parents have been through enough crap because of the old man, I didn't want to be another reason why their world was crumbling._

 _"C'mon." I felt hand's large hand rest on my hood. "Let's get back home."_

 _It's not safe, came the unsaid words._

 _Getting to my feet, I brushed the dirt off my knees but stopped when I remembered why I had spent an hour on the floor. The box was still sitting there with the four cardboard lids flapping from the cool breeze blowing by. The journals and All Might merchandise still inside and waiting for the next move._

 _Dad looked inside the box. "Did Midoriya-san forget this?"_

 _"... no." I quietly replied._

 _His dark eyes studied my half hidden features and looked back to the box again until a dawning realization came over his face. He stood over the box, hands wanting to reach for something but only grasping thin air. His mouth opened but closed, the words refusing to come out because he didn't know what to say. After a brief period, he bent down and picked up the box from the floor._

 _"What do you want to do with this?" he asked me. "Do you, um, do you want to take it home?"_

 _Why? What was the purpose of keeping something that sent a painful message of rejection? Izuku's mother threw rid herself of these items from her son's room because these are what sent her son to an early grave._

 _Sitting on top of the journals was an All Might action figure I had given to Izuku on his eleventh birthday. There had been plenty of other action figures he collected over the years, but this one had the Silver Age costume and Izuku still didn't have one of that model because it was too expensive. The toy was grinning back at me, all carefree and full of smiles like nothing could go wrong._

 _But everything_ was _wrong. Everything was not carefree._

 _Everything was messed up!_

 _Suddenly enraged by the perfectly sculpted, stupid toy, I snatched it from the box and flung it out into the darkness. My eyes watched it sail across the street until its tiny shape harshly collided to the asphalt ground, skipping a few times until it skidded to a stop._

 _Without a word, I angrily stalked past dad._

 _Dad stared after me for a moment until he moved to return the box back on the ground, shoving it gently next to where the garbage was stacked near the sidewalk where the city clean up trucks would come next morning to pick it up. We both remained silent as I led the way back home, and I was thankful that dad had nothing to say because he too was lost in the troubles we found ourselves in. This was one problem that wasn't going to go away with just a talk or a gentle push, so all he and I could do was endure it._

 _Besides, what we were dealing with wasn't the average case of kids and teachers being cruel to me, this wasn't the deep anger I had growing deep inside of me, this wasn't society using me as a scapegoat, this... this was a person who's life got snuffed out because_ _of_ _—_

 _I halted from taking another step._

 _Izuku._

 _Izuku's stUfF._

 _His joURnaLs._

 _HIs MERcHandISE._

 _HiS THoUGHts!_

 _HIS DREAMS!_

 _IZUKU!_

 _I ran back._

 _Dad was calling my name but I didn't stop, I didn't care about the people yelling at me when I nearly barreled into them, I didn't care about the car horns that blared when I crossed the street without looking, I didn't care because they didn't matter because Izuku's things were lying on the road like they were trash! But they weren't trash! His stuff was never trash! They were his hard work and dedication and his love! I hated heroes, but I would never ever think that his belongings were_ —

 _It was still there. The box was still there where dad left it._

 _But the All Might action figure..._

 _Looking down the street, I saw its lonely little shape still lying there. I hastily made my way towards the fallen toy, distantly making out the sound of dad running to catch up to me. Once I was close enough, I slowed down to a stop so I could kneel down and pick up the fallen toy. I carefully checked to see if there was any damage taken from the toss when it had skidded across the asphalt._

 _Even after being thrown away like garbage, the All Might action figure still smiled back at me._

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Slowly, from the sound of a vital signs monitor, I was beginning to wake up.

I smelled lavender and heavy coffee beans. Mom and dad.

Eyelids fluttering open, I was met with a square tiled ceiling. Looking around some more, I saw four white walls, two doors, and a window with the curtains pushed aside to allow the view of the cityscape and the blue skies to filter through the bland room. With heavy trepidation, I dared to look down at myself and found a brown leather bomber jacket and a soft blue cardigan draped over my torso. Mom and dad's clothes helping to smother the hospital smell I hated breathing in.

But their clothes didn't give me comfort. They were hiding my arms, my arms which felt heavy like lead.

Before the whole thing could drag me back in time (What's the date? Had I been dreaming? Is Izuku still—), the door to my room opened.

All Might was carrying a pair of styrofoam cups while pushing the door open with his foot. The moment his shadowed gaze fell on me, his footsteps halted so abruptly he almost lost the grip of his cups in shock.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake." All Might rushed towards me from the doorway, careful with the cups which he placed on a nearby desk. "You gave us all quite the scare, young Sengoku."

The time was two years since the incident and the place was in mom's hospital with All Might here to keep me company. The heavy arms helped me remember of the disaster that took place in school, so I flopped my head back into the pillow and let out a sigh.

"How bad is it?" I asked. "Did they have to amputate it? Did I get nerve damage? Permanently scarred beyond help?"

"Don't be so dramatic," someone spoke from the doorway. "You're alright, sonny."

Eyes snapping open, I whipped towards the source of the voice to find an immensely petite individual making their way closer to my medical bed. Wrinkled face half covered by the protective eye-shield she wore and the long doctor's coat that dragged behind her, I recognized her.

Recovery Girl, a highly respectable doctor I heard mom mention in passing several times. The heroine would occasionally visit several universities to give lectures about what people were walking into if they were hero graduates wanting to offer support beyond the cool gear and costume making. Healing quirks were the rarest kinds to come across, and a lot of heroes regarded Recovery Girl as an unlimited medical supply they could turn to for healing their heaviest, bloodiest injury, but seeing her old age cemented the fact that she won't be around forever to save everyone.

"Move aside, Toshinori, I need to see the boy." Recovery Girl scolded All Might when she tapped his leg with her syringe-shaped cane. "And don't hover over my shoulder, you clumsy oaf. I'm a doctor, not Edward Scissorhands."

All Might fretted from behind the tiny woman, looking like he wanted to protest before thinking better of it.

"Sit up, sonny. I need to take a look at those arms of yours." Recovery Girl said while pressing the nurse call button.

I watched the bomber jacket and cardigan go as All Might moved them to the side so the sheets could be rolled down while Recovery Girl helped me sit up. The door opened and I was greeted with the sight of a familiar face.

"Hey Kuzan," Toboe greeted me happily as she hurried towards the bed to assist Recovery Girl. "I'm so glad you're okay! You scared the crap out of everyone, kiddo."

Jinchōge Toboe was a nurse who started working at the hospital five years back. She was a fumbling newbie still wet behind the ears and a lot of the doctors were wary to leave her alone with a patient. Mom took pity and brought the girl under her wing, patient and encouraging her to get past her nervous, clumsy demeanor to become a more calm, level-headed, and dependable person others could look up to.

Toboe also served as a good distraction because of her catgirl appearance with the whole cat ears and tail, but her most valuable asset was the sweet scent coming off of her in waves. Her quirk further increased chances of calming people who had a phobia with hospitals, so she was called to a lot of stations when there was a stubborn patient. We were familiar with each other because mom put her in charge of me whenever I visited the hospital, her quirk also helped me avoid smelling the vomit, cleanliness, and blood lingering in the air.

"Looks like that's all I ever do these days." I mumbled.

Toboe's fluffy chocolate tail curled around her leg as she worked on unwrapping one arm while Recovery did the same with the other.

"There we go." Recovery Girl and Toboe pulled the last of the bandages and removed the gauze covering my arms.

I stared at my limbs.

"I look like I just came back from the beach with a bad sunburn." I openly marveled at my pink arms.

"When I saw what happened to you, I called her as soon as I could." All Might disclosed but paused when he remembered that Toboe was in the room. "Uh, you're phone alerted me of the emergency app."

Toboe gave the gaunt man a suspicious look. "Why do you have Kuzan's phone, Mr...?"

"Cool it, Toby, he's harmless." I quickly cut in before accusations of the ugly sort started getting in her head. Plus, I wanted to deflect her queries from All Might. "I left my stuff behind by accident when I was out in the park with him."

I realized too late from the curious glint in Toboe's eyes that I gave away who I've been hanging around with as of late. Mom must've been sharing with her small circle of friends about the odd times her son would come and go, never knowing that I was actually getting acquainted with All Might when he was in his true form. They probably thought I was getting into drugs (which was ridiculous because mom would know instantly with a simple whiff of her nose), but now that I opened my stupid mouth, this bit of information was surely going to reach her ears.

 _'Shit.'_ I grimaced.

"Nurse Jinchōge?" Recovery Girl called the catgirl's attention. "Can you page Dr. Gunnarsen? I'm sure the poor woman wants to see her son now that he's awake."

"Right, of course." Toboe pulled away from the relieved All Might and headed towards the door. "Don't go getting into stupid stuff while I'm gone, kiddo!"

"Whatever." I scoffed at her as she exited through the door.

Once she was out, a tension fell over our heads. I looked from Recovery Girl then to All Might, both of the adults watching each other in silence. The old woman tapped her foot on the stool she was standing on, a gloved hand coming to rest on her hip.

"Well?" Recovery Girl clipped at the tall blond. "Out with it, Toshinori."

"Can we save this for later?" All Might grumbled, sagging under the weight of Recovery Girl's glare.

"Fine then, let me start." Recovery Girl quipped. "This young man is the reason why you've been avoiding picking a successor from U.A."

All Might snapped to his full height, the dots of blue he had hidden inside the shadowy parts of his face blared like car lights from the shock of the elderly woman's accusation. Recovery Girl rolled her eyes when the blond began to splutter noisily, his hands becoming animated like he was trying to push back the invisible and powerful force that was the tiny old lady. Meanwhile, I remained as a quiet spectator in the background.

"That is to say, I mean everyone's been so caught up with school I just...!" All Might fumbled with his words, looking frantically between me and the doctor.

Taking pity, I turned my attention to Recovery Girl. "What happened? To the middle school, I mean."

All Might went stock still as a statue while Recovery Girl's face gave a slight wince at the mention of the school. Eyeing them warily, I tried to take a steady breath to calm myself because I didn't want to think about a certain time and place in the hospital where I was given bad news; I didn't want to feel another knife gradually digging it way into my skin, the blood seeping out in a painfully slow process.

"Did someone die...?" I asked quietly, voice trembling and breath stuttering despite my efforts.

"No, no Sengoku-kun," All Might immediately came to my side, knowing instantly that I was slipping away from reality and into a nightmarish vision of a terrible outcome. "They're okay. Everyone's safe. The poor girl who set the school on fire is alive thanks to you and your teacher."

The sinking heaviness that fell over my shoulders and chest gradually lightened and I gave an exhale of relief. Eyes closed and head falling forward, I couldn't feel anything besides grateful that I woke up in a situation where no one ended up dying.

"There was plenty who suffered some broken bones and heavy bruising from being trampled during the panic, but they're alright now." Recovery Girl added while shaking her head. "What you did was incredibly dangerous. However, at the end of the day, you successfully saved their lives."

Being praised was kind of an awkward experience for me, especially when coming from a total stranger. All Might was too genuine in nature, I would find it hard to believe he'd go around bad mouthing anyone, so his compliments weren't all too surprising for me to hear. Besides, the praising was due to my great taste in music and movies.

"That's... that's good." I said after awhile.

All Might pulled away once he was sure I wasn't going to fall into hysterics. There was a sort of nervous air to him still, the kind of feeling that was bouncing under his skin which was now making me feel a little jumpy. They assured me everyone was safe, but there was more to the story that said it wouldn't be pleasant for me to hear.

Recovery Girl let out another sigh. "You might as well know. There's no beating around the bush with this."

She grabbed the remote control sitting on the nightstand counter next to the bed and flicked the flat screen on. The black screen buzzed until color came on along with the shapes and the sound which soon followed.

A pair of anchormen were sitting behind their desk playing commentators to explain what transpired at Jakku Junior High. The media logo disappeared to show the flames coming from the cafeteria windows in the second floor. A footage taken from a helicopter recorded the whole thing, panning to the Water Brigade agency and the fire department splashing water towards the window.

And somewhere from the side, hundreds of students down below were fleeing for their lives, disorganized and wild with no one able to rein them in.

The camera switched to ground level where someone who was recording the fire from the cafeteria windows suddenly caught the bright flash of exploding flames that flew towards the fire department and heroes who immediately attacked it with flames. A great wave of evaporated air covered the entire grounds, spreading itself like a wet dust storm.

The helicopter camera caught the explosion again from above, the ball of flames flying out the window and into the capable hands of the fire department and rescue heroes.

And then there was my face on the screen. A picture of my school ID glaring back.

All Might's fidgeting and Recovery Girl's grim lines, it was starting to make sense.

 _"With a drug dangerously spreading across the black markets and into the hands of dealers, parents are now concerned that this can easily be purchased by troubled youths to be brought into their children's schools. As was the unfortunate_ _case when witnesses stated that the young man on the screen, Sengoku Grímnir Kuzan, age fourteen, was spotted to have been in possession of the drug, resulting in three students being afflicted insi_ — _"_

The screen turned black.

Mom was standing next to the bed with the control in her hand, mouth contorted into a tight line as she focused on the television like she wished she could burn it if she glared hard enough. Recovery Girl no longer occupied the space next to me, standing a little ways to give my mom space while Toboe stood awkwardly by the door. All Might remained where he was but his gaze was out the window. Noticing something, I spotted his trembling hands, the bony knuckles becoming white from how tight his fists were folding over the bed rail.

There was salt in the air. Mom was trying so hard not to cry.

All Might's blood scent grew stronger, bubbling like hot water under the surface of his skin.

He smelled angry.

"I don't care."

I let my words float around the silent room while staring at my pink arms.

The fingers twitched a little, a small sting following after, but they still moved and they were still there instead of being ruined beyond repair. The sight of my black, charred limbs left me faint, breathless, and in terrible pain; I started to lose myself in fear of having to live the rest of my life without the use of my arms that had been sacrificed to save someone else's life.

But here I was with two sunburned pink limbs still healing with no deaths to report. With no threat of living the rest of my life with paralyzed arms, I was too relieved to care about the false accusations flung at my already trampled reputation.

"People got out alive and that's all what really matters." I said to the quiet room. "As long as those idiots are breathing and my teachers are still teaching, everyone can say whatever the hell they want."

I barely reacted to the arms encircling my neck, mom's face pressed against the thick dark hair she inhaled greedily to remind herself that I was still here. I leaned into her warm embrace and said nothing of the tears that fell against my hair and skin.

From over my mother's shoulders, Recovery Girl watched us with an odd look behind her eye-shield.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Almost a week after the incident at Jakku Junior High, two days spent unconscious because of Recovery Girl's quirk treatment, I was released from the hospital.

Stepping outside the building, I was met with a small squadron of cop cars parked outside the hospital's main entrance. My parents and I felt felt uneasy at the sight, and I felt my stomach drop when a familiar group of officials approached us. Mom's hands fell onto my shoulders, her fingers digging into my shirt as if she was going to pull it back in case someone tried to rip me away from her.

The man leading the small group was Commissioner Shōki. He was a great big man, almost coming to All Might's height, his dark hair peppered with age was combed back with only a single strand curling over his forehead. His most noticeable feature was his ominous purple eyes that seemed to shift and swim like a glass ball full of smoke, it made him all the more harder to read. Commissioner Shōki was fond of his expensive-looking suits, most of the time favoring dark tones with ties to match.

Beside him was Kugutsu, Musutafu's Chief of Police. The woman was dressed in a professional attire made up of a dark red blazer and matching slacks, her navy blue hair was pulled back in a tight bun, not a hair out of place. She was the picture of clean and sophisticated. Her magneta-colored irises watched me from over the brim of her dark framed glasses she had sitting on the bridge of her nose.

On the other side of the Commissioner was my dad's boss: Captain Genbu. A horned toad-looking man with an unpleasant look in his eyes and a permanent grimace stuck to his scaled face. Unlike his two companions, the man wasn't bothered with dressing up to impress anyone, and had he not been such an asshole, I would've liked him for his honesty. Dad had to keep me clear from the Captain because most times than not, Genbu and I would bare our teeth (or in Genbu's case, fangs) at one another whenever we happened to be in the same room.

"This isn't really necessary, Commissioner Shōki," dad said once the officials were close enough.

Genbu huffed, already opening his stupid mouth to say something biting but the Commissioner silenced him with a single look. My eyes quickly shot to the ground when the Commissioner's gaze fell on me.

"If you don't mind having a microphone shoved up your face by a screaming reporter, I think you'll find this option much more easier to go with, detective." Commissioner Shōki retorted. Even as he spoke with dad, the Commissioner remained a steadily focused on me. "How are you, Sengoku?"

The squadron, the approach, the casual way he spoke as if nothing was wrong, it all left me sick to the core. The last thing I wanted to be doing here was playing along with this man's sick, twisted games of charade. I would've preferred if he acted like every other person in this city—full of animosity. I hated people who hid behind acts, hiding their true selves so no one could see how truly rotten they were behind closed doors.

"What's wrong, boy?" Genbu demanded as he looked me over. "Can't be bothered to greet us?"

"You leave him alone!" mom furiously snapped at the lizard. "He nearly died! _Again_! He's only stepped a foot outside of the hospital and already you people are swarming around him like a bunch of hungry hyenas! Why can't you give him a moment to breathe!"

Again, the lizard man was undoubtedly prepared to spout shit towards my mom whom he made clear since day one that he hated her much more than my dad. Not giving the giant pest an opportunity to talk shit to my mom, I beat him to the punch.

"Don't you have anything better to do besides going around harassing people?" I jeered viciously in the lizard's face, a cruel smile twisting itself across my mouth. " _Awww_ , did you feel lonely, Captain? Did you have to go and beg the Commissioner and Chief to come along? You poor, poor thing."

" _Hah_!" Genbu scoffed at me, his blazing amber eyes turning towards my dad. "Still a mouthy little bastard, huh detective?"

"Enough," Kugutsu reprimanded us. She peered over her shoulder and I spotted the press beginning to gather around the squadron. Some were starting shout questions beyond the barricade of uniformed policemen, expecting answers none of us wanted to divulge to them. "Let's try not make a scene here. This issue needs to be taken care of as quickly as possible. Now come along."

The Commissioner was right, me and dad weren't keen on getting cameras shoved up our face, so he and I quietly followed after the officers. I have mom one last reassuring look before I stepped next to dad, following everyone to the waiting cars. I sat in the back next to dad while Genbu and another officer took the front. The Commissioner and Chief took the next car since they weren't fond of the idea of being packed inside a single vehicle.

Thankfully the ride to the the Commissioner's main HQ didn't take too long.

The news vans however were quick to follow, trailing after us like a bunch of hungry scavengers. As we exited the vehicles, we were set upon by the rapid hordes of reporters and cameramen demanding answers. I winced at the flashes of light, the cacophony of voices blending altogether in a noisy fashion, and the hands reaching for my shoulders to grab my attention. Behind me, Genbu barked orders at the officers to form a barrier between us and them so we could continue our way inside the HQ. Dad kept me close to him, using his great height as a way to shield me from everyone's prying eyes and hands.

I released a sigh of relief when we finally ducked into the building, the entrance barring the pesky press from entering after us. With nobody to harass us, we took our time to fix ourselves while reaching the meeting room that was somewhere inside the fancy-looking establishment. I spied the painted classical pictures, all large and fanciful, the decor just as expensive-looking, the Commissioner seemed to like showing off his money and power.

"What took you all so long?!" a voice waspishly broke the tense silence. "Let me guess: was the boy resisting arrest?"

"Do you see him handcuffs, principal?" Kugutsu dryly retorted, raising a perfectly manicured brow at the rotund man standing on the other side of the giant meeting table.

Principal Gantonden Akinau, the old fart in charge of Jakku Junior High, sniffed haughtily from his place. He threw me and dad an all too familiar disdainful look, his fuzzy mustache barely able to conceal those scowling pig-like lips. Dad did not bother to hide his intense dislike for the fat bastard, a terrifying black look crossing his features which made the principal hastily shift towards the meeting table if only to put something between himself and my dad.

"I just don't think it's safe considering what happened!" Gantonden continued as he made hi way closer to the apathetic Commissioner. "He intentionally brought a dangerous substance into my school and unleashed it upon the students! Did you even bother to check in case he brought any drugs _here_?!"

"Excuse me," someone interrupted Gantonden. "What proof do you have of Sengoku Kuzan being the perpetrator?"

All attention fell on the source of the voice.

Standing at the other end of the table next to the Commissioner was an incredibly gorgeous woman with caramel-colored hair falling in luscious waves over one side of shoulder, her warm honey-colored eyes staring down at the round man with a judging look. She was dressed in deep blue buttoned blouse and a designer pencil skirt, her slender legs going seemingly for miles until they disappeared in her stylish pumps.

A gentle nudge against my ribs broke me out of my chance and I met dad's pointed look; there was a nonverbal warning for me to be on my best behavior.

"My dear girl," the principal flashed the woman a smile, his greedy eyes not hiding the way they rolled over her form. Apparently, I wasn't the only one taken in by her lovely presence (except I wasn't being a creep about it). "I've become familiar enough with this particular boy since he was enrolled into my school. Before, it was somewhat manageable, but then after he came along, suddenly the hallways are a battlefield. Misbehavior, brawling, vandalism, every little crime you can think of and he's smack dab in the center of it all!"

The old pig's gaze swept over to me, looking at me like I was a shit-stain in the middle of his path. I met the fat man's look with a menacing expression of my own, not as strong as my dad's but disturbing enough that it got the jerk to quit with his judging looks. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the principal from continuing his horseshit lecture.

"So you see, no one here is surprised to find out that this boy—" he jabs a pudgy finger in my direction. "—not only endangered to lives of my students, but my faculty as well! And besides, everyone claims that he was the one to be in possession of the drug!"

Dad tensed up from beside me, probably about to argue on my behalf, when the caramel-haired woman made a humming noise and tilted her head while keeping a skeptical eye on the principal. Suffice to say, she did not look impressed with the fat man's tale.

"So in conclusion: _no_ , you don't actually have any physical evidence to prove that Sengoku Kuzan is accountable for what happened to the school."

The principal looked as though he had been selected to become the next participant of the ice bucket challenge with how quickly his smug expression dropped when he realized the woman wasn't falling for his garbage. Not taking kindly to the fat man's patronizing tone, nor to being treated like some ditzy air-head who accidentally stumbled into an adult's conversation, she ripped him a new one right in front of everyone and it was glorious. I was tempted to clap right there but now wasn't the time to act out.

"This is Kazue," Chief Kugutsu introduced the caramel-haired woman, and I couldn't help but notice how strained she sounded when she introduced the young woman. "She's an attorney representing Might Tower for Sengoku Kuzan's case."

There was a pregnant pause as the words sank in.

All at once, every head turned my direction with varying degrees of surprise and suspicion written on their faces. Meanwhile, I just sat there with a dumbfounded look on my face. While everyone was trying to compute with the fact that the world's number one hero's agency was butting into the case, I was stuck screaming inside my own head because _goddamn_ All Might was sticking his big dumb nose into my business! Did he seriously have to involve himself?! This was the very definition of exceeding overkill!

My little meltdown was interrupted when the principal stood up from his chair to slam his sausage-like fingers against the mahogany surface of the meeting table, grabbing everyone's attention.

"You must be joking!" Gantonden looked around the room. "Are you actually telling me she works for _All Might_?! And they're deciding to _defend_ this boy?!"

"Please keep your outbursts to a minimum, principal." Kazue warned the man, tone light but eyes gleaming dangerously as she spoke. "We are having a civilized discussion. If you cannot contain yourself, you will be escorted out the door."

With that patronizing tone directed at him, the fat man flushed red from anger and embarassment before settling back down in his chair like a naughty student admonished by his strict teacher. It made me wish the attorney had been the principal of the school, able to put people in their places with words alone.

"Can we ask why the number one hero is suddenly interesting in this case?" Genbu demanded, casting me a suspicious look.

"One of our employees, who is closely acquainted with Sengoku-kun here, felt that the case would become a one-sided affair. Sengoku-kun clearly has little to no chances of defending himself in the court." Kazue explained to the entire room. "He also believes the bias of the people involved will result in an unfair trial."

"Who the hell have you been hanging around with?" Genbu glared down at me from his spot.

The thought of telling off the lizard bastard would've been like sweet dream, but I had to remember that this was one fight that could result in me and my family paying for it later on had I kept my head down and trap shut, so with teeth digging dangerously into my sensitive tongue, I avoiding speaking to the Captain. The cold rumbling voice from the head of the table made me and my dad tense up, something choking us like solid smoke threatening to suffocate us from the inside. I felt the familiar throbbing sensation come to life on my arm, and I clutched at my seat's arms to compose myself.

"Sengoku."

Ignoring dad's hand that was holding onto my arm, I faced the Commissioner with a steady gaze. His venomous eyes felt like they could reach inside and twist everything, destroying the core of my being until there not a trace of myself left. I felt Kugutsu boring a hole into my head, silently urging to speak up and explain myself all while hiding behind the cold mask that gradually began to crack the longer I hesitated.

Kazue and Gantonden noticed the mood shifting.

"Please, tell us," Shōki gently coaxed as he watched me from behind his laced hands. "Who have you been seeing as of late?"

THe throbbing ache on my arm prompted me to speak. "His name is Toshinori. I... We met at the grocery store, and I helped him after he suffered from a horrible coughing fit. Since then, we've only been meeting each other to talk. He said he worked at a hero agency, but I never asked him so I didn't think much of it."

The Commisioner's face remained unmoved, and I felt my mouth dry up from under the scope of his intrusive gaze. "Talk about what things, Sengoku?"

"Is this really necessary?" Kazue frostily inquired as she looked around the room. "Is there a problem with who he spends his time with?"

Genbu snorted. "Depends. Is this Toshinori guy a pervert who likes to hang around with middle schoolers?"

If she had the power to do so, Kazue's gaze alone would've ended the lizard right then and there. Before the young woman could say something scathing in return to the uncouth Captain, she was silenced by the sound of wood splintering.

Diverting their attention towards the source of the noise, Captain Genby nearly jumped out of his own skin to find my murderous gaze pointed at him. It was a look more ferocious and dangerous than the one I had whipped earlier towards Gantonden. So terrifying was the expression that several could see movement of the lizard's tail, curling around the owner as if preparing to defend themselves from a dangerous predator that was moments away from pouncing in him with intentions of ripping his throat open.

"Say that again," I quietly growled at the lizard. "I _dare_ you to open your cunt mouth and say that again."

They could say whatever they wanted about me, but I would not tolerate anyone speaking ill of the people who mattered to me.

"Detective Sengoku," the Commissioner spoke, cutting the tension between me and the Captain. "Please control your son. Captain, control your _tongue_."

Murderous eyes still trained on the lizard, I didn't fight dad when he pulled me to stand so I could be seated on the other side of his chair, keeping me and Genbu apart for own good (or at least, that lizard bastard's safety). Kugutsu, who had stood up when she felt the growing violence brewing, sat back down in the leather chair she occupied. Like dad, she kept a watchful eye on us in case she really needed to step in. Despite her prim and proper appearance, the Chief was eager to use our spat as an excuse to get physical.

Back to the subject, I wanted to bang my head against the table. This was like sitting between a rock and a hard place. The authorities were breathing down my neck and All Might's involvement wasn't doing me any favors. This was exactly why I didn't want him pushing his business into my life: people were going to get these ideas in their heads, they were going to ask questions I couldn't quite answer, and it was going to become a complicated mess that there was no way I could escape this situation unscathed. Like, holy crap, it hasn't been an hour of the meeting and already the adults were throwing crazy accusations regarding mine and All Might's relationship!

"—honestly! This boy is a criminal!" Gantonden broke through my inner turmoil. "This is a waste of everyone's time!"

"Oh?" Kazue raised an eyebrow at the round principal. "Is there an appointment you have to be?"

The principal flushed, stammering over his words which caused Genbu to roll his eyes at the other man. Dad looked like he was trying very hard to imagine he was wearing a straight jacket so he wouldn't swing his arm at the principal who continued to spout utter bullshit about me.

"I'm only saying that we needn't drag this out more than it already has!" the principal continued. "He's the reason why those children and teachers are hurt!"

"My son is the reason why those kids and teachers are still alive!" dad coldly snapped at the rotund man. "He's a hero!"

Dad's words made me freeze up. Instead of a meeting room with screaming adults, I was on a park bench next to a tall, gaunt-looking man who had bright blue eyes.

 _"Why_ wouldn't _I pick you?"_

The arguing, the noise, the world, it all melted away while I was standing alone with the mirage of a tall blond man. Our days spent wandering the streets, our time wasted in music stores that held hidden gems of songs I missed from a time long past, and a moment immortalized when a weak and powerful man stood next to me under the light sheen of rain where for the first time in so long... _I felt safe_.

Coming after me, engaging with me, wandering new places alongside me—All Might practically entangled himself into my life, and after so much time spent together, nowadays I didn't want to think about how sad my world would be if he wasn't there. A world without the man with sunshine hair sounded bleak, dull, unbalanced, and mute.

"Why haven't you fired this man, Captain Genbu?! He'll ignore the outcry of the people just so he could continue to protect his delinquent son!"

"This coming from the principal who can't control his own school?!"

"I'm only saying what everyone is thinking in this room!"

"You don't speak for everyone, principal."

The adults continued to fight amongst each other, their voices growing in volume while their words turned to barbs thrown across the table. There was only one way to put an end to this, and it was to throw everyone off the trail by presenting them the biggest bullshit lie I've ever conjured up in my entire life. I found the Commisioner and it didn't take him long to notice me. Kugutsu and Genbu were important, but none so than the Commissioner who I needed more than anyone to convince.

My voice was quiet, but it still reached the ears of the older man.

"He told me I can be a hero."

The shouting, Gantonden's waving arms, Kazue's sharp words, everything died down when they all registered my words. It took everything in me not to look at dad who I knew was staring at the back my head, my eyes stubbornly nailed on Commissioner Shōki. When the older man raised an eyebrow, I continued on. It was a daunting task, but if it got everyone away from truth, then I had to ensure that my lie was worthwhile.

"Toshinori-san told me I could be a hero." I said to the whole room. "He said that All Might was impressed with me after I managed to rescue Bakugō from the sludge villain when none of the other heroes could."

"Wait a minute, the video only showed—" Captain Genbu started to say but Kazue interrupted him.

"Captain, if you were any smarter, you would've realized that several sections of the video you saw on the news was edited out. People could say that it was due to the violent and graphic nature of the event, but I suspect it has more to do with nobody wanting to showcase the entire truth for reasons I'm sure you're smart enough to piece together."

When she gave my form a pointed look, the lizard man's trap clamped shut.

"Go on, Sengoku." the Commissioner quietly cajoled.

I was the little fly trapped inside amber, exposed for all to look upon with morbid wonder and fascination.

"It took awhile of thinking, but I came to a decision." I swallowed, trying not to choke on my tongue. "I'm going to U.A. High School."

My announcement took most by surprise, but none more so than dad who was probably looking at me like I had grown a parasite from my neck which then grew to be a second head. The only emotion Shōki conveyed about the reveal was the slight raise of his eyebrow. Gantonden's face was indescribable. Kazue merely blinked, not surprising considering she had only known me for about thirty minutes.

 _'Odin's beard, I think I'm gonna faint.'_ I thought as I shakily settled back down on my seat.

"And this Toshinori—?"

"Yagi Toshinori, Secretary Manager of Might Tower." Kazue clipped at the Commissioner then threw a lethal glare at the horned lizard. "A most _respectable_ man of Might Tower's agency."

Oh God, I thought miserably, I felt like I was going to pass out from how enormous my bullshit lie was. Maybe I was still in a coma back inside the hospital after the cafeteria attack, maybe I was surrounded by family and close acquaintances that came in and out of the room, and maybe they were talking about heroes that my brain was the one to conjure up this imaginary world. That sounded a lot more real than me telling this ridiculous lie of wanting to become a fucking hero.

"Fat chance now, boy." Gantonden snorted from the side. "One of the requirements of enrolling to U.A. High School is to not get a single mark on your record! And if this case isn't the one to put you down, I guarantee you your past behavior will most definitely come back to bite you in the ass!"

Being charged with a crime or getting expelled from a school didn't upset me since I was more concerned about betraying a good man's faith in me. All he ever wanted was someone he could trust to inherit his powers so that they could continue to defend the helpless and defeat the villainous—problem was, he was looking at the wrong person to succeed him. I was far from being the paragon of virtue and justice, I was not the poster boy of peace, and I definitely wasn't the definition of heroic. While he was the ever burning bright sun that encircled the world, wrapping it up in warmth, I was the eternal void of space which covered the globe in silence and darkness, leaving only ice and fear in my wake.

"Prinicipal Gantonden, I would like to show you something." Kazue reached into her purse and pulled out a small stack of files. "During the time Sengoku was hospitalized, Detective Sengoku immediately launched into investigation to find out what truly happened in the cafeteria."

She passed the folders around the table and dad flipped it open.

"What is this?!" the principal squawked as he flipped furiously through the paper.

Leaning over dad's shoulder, I spotted photos of my teachers, the secretary, and several students, one of which I recognized as the mouse boy. Clipped to their photos were documents that read as statements and confessions.

"Why wasn't I made aware of these reports?" Captain Genbu barked, angry amber eyes zeroed in on Kazue.

"There was a report," dad bit out coldly while glaring at the lizard. "You ordered me to leave it on the paperwork pile on the desk because you had a birthday party to get to. Did you forget, _Captain_?"

Genbu looked about done with dad's attitude, but the withering glare he got from Chief Kugutsu made him swallow back his vicious choice of words. There was probably going to be an argument behind closed doors on the matter, but nothing drastic that it would warrant dad getting fired as he was only doing his job.

Kazue pulled up another document and flipped through it. "Principal Gantonden, are you aware that your school funds are so low that it leaves your faculty paid with minimum wage?"

"Yes. I am aware." Gantonden grumbled, and I narrowed my eyes at him because there was a rancid smell coming off of him. It smelled like he was going to piss himself.

It smelled like he was afraid.

The lawyer turned to Captain Genbu, "Did you actually bother to read the reports at all? Surely you would have also been made aware that we asked Detective Sengoku to look into the faculty's personal accounts. And oddly enough, we happened upon something interesting regarding the principal's bank accounts."

" _You what_?!" Gantonden exploded.

"You've been embezzling Jakku Junior High's funds," the lawyer continued destroying the principal in front of everyone. Misery temporarily forgotten, I was sitting on the edge of my seat. "Money that could have been used to repair your school, paying your teachers fair wage, possibly hiring additional aid to prevent troubled students from hurting one another and the faculty, all of that wasted on overly extravagant ostrich coats from expensive brand stores."

Gantonden turned into an interesting shade of purple, mouth gawking and eyes popping like he was a silly caricature drawn by a comedic artist. His satin shirt started to stick uncomfortably to his chest where dark spots started gather from the sweat the fabric absorbed, and I scrunched at the smell of locker room sweat and piss coming off him in waves with Gantonden's fear rising out of his pores.

"And it's funny you should mention Sengoku-kun having a record on him, principal." Kazue swooped down like an angel about to smite a devil. "While it's true that there had been assaults involving the young man, many accounts coming from the staff report that _not once_ has Sengoku-kun retaliated."

"... W- _what_?" the principal dumbly choked out. Dad pulled up the photo of the mouse boy for the principal to see.

"Zushinezumi Kōichi. He was the one who admitted to bringing the drug to school. He also stated that before he could release the drug onto himself, my son stopped him and nearly succeeded in removing the drug from the populated cafeteria before the container was accidentally discharged by the ones afflicted from the drug. My wife, myself, and my cousin have warned him about how dangerous Trigger is, so he acted quickly but was unsuccessful in removing the threat." dad paused to let the words sink. "Did you know these kids are picked on? It's not just my son who's their all time favorite punching bag, but there's a bunch of other kids who've nowhere else to go but your damn school."

"I'm not—"

"No. The truth is this: you don't give a damn about them." I watched dad stare down at the floundering principal who quivered in his seat. "You don't care how many times they've complained the issue, you don't care how many times they tried to see you, you even ordered your secretary to get them out of the office because you hated having to face a bunch of crying brats loitering outside your office. You don't care how many times I got calls from hysterical parents who said their child tried to kill themselves because of the hell they faced daily inside the halls of your school. You don't care that these kids are even attacking your own teachers who local clinics had to patch up because these people are risking their own safety to protect students from harming each other!"

Chills ran down my spine the entire time dad frostily recounted each and every careless incident the principal blatantly ignored like garbage he tried to sweep under the rug. The documents in front of me read that Secretary Ishō was the one to record every report that further incriminated the principal about his neglectful behavior of the school. I could only imagine just how difficult it must've been for her to turn away those frightened kids, only to be horrified when she later learned what became of them. The incident at the cafeteria was the final straw that broke the camel's back. With no regrets, the secretary gathered all the principal's receipts and schedules to shove into dad's arms while offering valuable information freely so nothing like what happened that day would repeat itself.

"Gantonden-san," Kazue spoke up after a moment of stunned silence. "You go ahead and charge Sengoku-kun with a crime he didn't commit. Just know that we have all this evidence of your negligence, embezzlement, and you deliberately endangering your students and staff. This will come to light in court. This is your claim against our _evidence_."

The round man stood there for a long moment until he tilted backwards and flopped messily against his leather chair. Expression aimless and without direction, it was clear to everyone that Gantonden was dropping the charges against me.

" _Damn_." Genbu whispered under his breath, sounding oddly impressed with Kazue's merciless execution.

"What happens to the school now?" the Commissioner spoke for the first time in what seemed like hours. "I can only imagine it will take many years for Gantonden to repay every ryo over the years he's been stealing its funds."

The rotund man flinched, his flushed complexion paling at the thought. Had he not been such an asshole, I would've actually felt sorry for him.

"That won't be necessary." Kazue gathered her things. "Might Tower has already offered to rebuild the school, cover the payments of the teachers, hire additional help, and provide a much secure establishment for both the staff and children."

... What?

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Jakku Junior High looked like another planet from a galaxy far, far away.

No longer did the building look like it was going to collapse in on itself, the rotting structure was replaced with trustworthy support and concrete. Broken windows replaced, stubborn sliding doors fixed, and graffiti painted over, the place looked squeaky clean. I could even see a reflection of myself on the floor! Lunch no longer served scraps but actual nutritional meals which never ran out, allowing a lot of hungry kids to gorge down without having to fight over who got what first. The disaster in the cafeteria looked like it never took place with how well the construction workers renovated it, scorch marks gone and melted down appliances removed then replaced with updated versions.

With the field's grass mowed down and the track restored, the area resembled more like a school ground than some property a bunch of kids were trespassing on. There was also new gym equipment for exercising, and there was a storage room filled to the brim with all kinds of sports equipment that a lot of students were relieved that nobody had to see another stupid football. To the delight of most, dodgeball became a popular activity during gym period.

I almost started to get worried because this many rowdy students would've overwhelmed the poor old sloth man, but to my astonishment, Sorasu had back up. When all the guys started to mess around, a hulking shark man appeared and regained order with a single loud bellow from his gaping jaw.

Coach Samedori was his name, Coach Sorasu's new right hand man, and the guy who would replaced him when the old sloth retired.

The tiger shark man didn't have to do much but offer a great, big smile whenever the students started to get out of hand, his rows of sharp teeth glinting dangerously which was enough motivation for everyone to cut their shit out and behave themselves. Coach Sameodori continued to patrol the gym and field along with two other hired hands that were keeping a watch out for the kids. Sometimes, I found myself looking at Coach Sameodori's water filter equipment that was wrapped around his neck and gills like a fancy-looking collar, keeping the tall tiger shark hydrated while he worked.

Besides Kawaki and Tahenkei-sensei, there was three other new faces.

I got the "pleasure" of coming across Sakasagami-sensei.

It all started when a small group of girls (with their stupid surgical masks) cornered me in the hallway. Even after the mouse boy confessed that he had been the one behind the incident in the cafeteria, a lot of people called bullshit and proceeded to pin the blame on me. Looking at the bruises littering their body, I thought they got off easy compared to the other kids who were limping around in crutches or getting wheeled around in their wheelchairs.

Before any of them could try to exact their revenge for the injuries they sustained during the stampede, something soft slithered all around us. It coiled around our ankles, wrists, and shoulders. I smelled strawberry tinted shampoo from the black, silky tentacles wrapped around my wrist. It didn't tighten up like I expected it to, more like it was trying to catch everyone's undivided attention. We all followed the trail of black ropes, curious, only to freeze up like a herd of spooked deer in the headlights.

Not far from where we stood, in the corner, a half obscured face peeked around the corner. If I could choose between an angry face or a dead fish-like gaze, I would've picked the explosive because those blank dead eyes were unsettling! Pale fingers with long nails climbed around the corner, tapping and wiggling around in unnatural angles, it made the hairs on my arms and legs stand up in alarm.

God, it was like I had stepped into the classic horror movie set where the black-haired ghost girl was going to rip my face off for watching a forbidden video.

And just like that, the girls beat a hasty retreat away from the dark-haired woman with the living mass of black that was her hair. Seeing that I wasn't going to cause trouble, the woman released me and slithered away to haunt some other part of the hallway, terrorizing students all the while.

I thought I had seen the last of her—until I was introduced to the new math teacher.

Like always, class became nothing but noise and chatter. Some even started to mark the surface of their polished-looking desks with either permanent markers or pocket knives that few managed to sneak past security. However, they all got a face full of black hair, the locks slithering menacingly around each student's wrist, ankle, shoulders. Immediately, the class went silent as the pale teacher with dead fish eyes calmly finished writing a formula on the stark white marker board.

"I like these knives you brought," she rasped out. "I like to keep things, you see..."

 _'What the hell...'_ I gulped as I took in the malevolent aura emitting from the woman.

"Would you children like to see what other things I collect from my students...?" she asked, finally facing the rest of the class.

Everyone, including myself, nearly wet themselves when we found ourselves in the receiving end of a sinister smile which literally stretched itself from ear-to-ear, giving us all a horrifying glasglow smile.

From then on, nobody fucked around when Sakasagami-sensei stalked the halls and darkened the classrooms; her hair would slither and brush against people's vulnerable spots, constantly reminding everyone and sending a clear message—she was watching you.

In my economics class, there was an effeminate teacher by the name of Tenjikubotan-sensei. He looked like the classical bishōnen character with his glossy blond hair that fell below his sharp and clean jaw, and his golden eyes surrounded by beautiful dark lashes that probably would have made my own mother jealous.

The girls (and several boys) all had heart eyes when he gracefully strode into the room. I rolled my eyes at the teacher, wondering if I landed myself in a shōjo manga plot or something. The teacher offered a beautiful smile to his students and asked for everyone to turn to the number of the page he wanted everyone to read.

To those not taken in with his beautiful aura, some scoffed and ignored the teacher by blatantly shoving the texts book off their desks and replacing them with their dirty indoor shoes. Thinking that this was going to be another one of those times the teacher would ignore those kids in favor for the ones actually paying attention, I thought nothing of it.

That was until a sickeningly sweet aroma assaulted my sensitive nose. I coughed out loud because the smell came out of nowhere, and I quickly covered my nose and mouth.

The teacher was still standing at the front, still all beautiful smiles with sunlight accenting his unblemished skin. This was when I noticed the mixed scent of flowers coming from all around the room, and I carefully gave the room a second once over because I was pretty damn sure I did not see these flowers the first time I came in the classroom. I stilled when one potted plant began to bloom.

"Do you like my flowers?"

I startled to find the teacher standing next to my desk. His smile appearing disarming that it made the whole situation feel all the more dangerous.

"Looks good." I responded, my voice muffled from my hand.

"Do you know the name of these flowers?" he asked the disruptive students.

When all he got was blank stares, he chuckled and made his way to the plants lined up against the window sills. His perfectly manicured hand brushed against a small stock of purple bell-shaped flowers, along with a pom-pom shaped group with colors that varied to pale lavender and sky blue shades.

"My favorites are the foxglove and hydragea flowers." Tenjikubotan-sensei said to the whole class, brushing the petals delicately.

My skin started to redden, making it feel irritable enough that I wanted to scratch at it, and there was the god awful sickening sweet scent that made me feel nauseous that I hoped the teacher would let me step outside for a moment to catch my breath.

Not to mention the light-headed feeling I was beginning to notice.

"Even though they're such dangerous, poisonous flowers, they still are the prettiest things to admire." Tenjikubotan-sensei pulled away from the flowers, the smile remaining while his eyes glinted dangerously to the class. "But I ask you children to be careful with my flowers. All the plants in here are poisonous to the touch, but I _couldn't_ bear to be without my beautiful garden. I only ask that you remember not to touch them."

His eyes fell on the rowdy group who were now looking at their surroundings with alarm.

"After all, I wouldn't want anything to happen to my precious little students."

The warning thrown for everyone to interpret however they perceived it, class continued on without a hitch and I was relieved when the flowers folded back into hiding with their poisonous perfume disappearing alongside it.

Near the end of the school day, I walked out the school gates in a daze. There was no pushing and shoving around the hallways, everyone too busy watching their backs and minding their actions because some of them swore they could feel tingles of hair touching the back of their necks. Not only that, there was also a blue, burly demonic-looking guy who followed the students to the gates and stood there like a guard dog, making sure everyone go by without any hassles.

He kind of looked like Hellboy, with a serious underbite, towering over everyone while his yellow gaze followed after everyone's back, making sure there wasn't any fights breaking out since the teachers normally didn't trail after the students. His name was Ōga, the literature teacher. Some students said they spotted the blue giant hanging around the library, guarding the books like they were hoards of treasures since books were often vandalized by jackasses.

There was also that time I got to catch a glimpse of the new principal (one of the conditions of avoiding any charges against him would be for Gantonden to relinquish Jakku and quietly retire without anymore money to take with him). Helping carry a stack of documents to Secretary Ishō's new office where all her stuff had plenty of fancy-looking locks with codes she could remember, I spotted a monkey man that came up to my waist entering the principal's office with a warm brew of what smelled like tea.

"That's the new principal, Sarugaku. Don't worry, he's not like Gantonden at all." Secretary Ishō said to me when she caught me eyeing the monkey. "He used to be a therapist before he retired. He's been talking to a lot of the rowdy kids."

Strangely enough, when kids entered Principal Sarugaku's office with an air of aloofness and attitude, they would later exit the office in silence, faces solemn and a redness in their eyes. There was no God-fearing behavior like the other teachers had instilled in the student body, but there was no denying that something was completely different about them after they talked with the mammal.

Following after their talk, the kids went on with their classes without a hitch. Except they didn't go around picking fights and harassing other kids which left their friends bewildered and wondering if they've been brainwashed or something. There was no change I could sense other than a somewhat calmer feeling ebbing from their scent.

In conclusion, the first day back in Jakku Junior High was otherworldly.

...

"How was school?"

I hadn't seen All Might since the hospital visit, and he hadn't texted me either which meant he was busy with hero stuff. He had kept me company numerous times while I followed the same path to my house, so I didn't think his sudden reappearance was unexpected. The guy had a good memory on where to find me when we weren't hanging out together, he didn't even need to ask for my location via text message.

"You didn't have to do that." I told him. "You're wasting your money on us and—"

The scrawny blond raised a hand, a gesture which I understood by falling quiet.

"I couldn't let those people do that to you." All Might said. "One of the marks of being a hero is meddling into someone's troubles, even if they aren't asking for help in the first place. Besides, what I do with my money is my business."

"Finally using the dark side of your powers, huh?" I huffed, lips twitching in amusement.

All Might smiled, not denying my jab at his multiple connections, resources, and the massive power he held within his grasp. If he had been a crueler man, he would have buried Gantonden, the media crucifying him with his image forever tarnished. Instead, Gantonden earned himself a slap on the wrist, a warning, and then a boot out the door.

Inhale. Exhale.

The sun was beginning to set over the city's horizon and I was surprised from how much time I wasted walking home. Usually I was back at the house before the sky changed orange, but with my mind struggling to comprehend the first day back to Jakku, the somewhat frightening new staff members I came across, the restored classrooms and school grounds, I was in the middle of experiencing whiplash that I didn't realize how slow I was going on the way back.

"Kazue told me you'll be enrolling to U.A. High School."

Head snapped back to earth, my mouth fell open.

I had almost forgotten about that.

"You lied, huh?"

If there was a moment where it was physically possible to fall into a puddle of shame, this would be it. Unable to look him in the eye, I slumped forward and kicked at some random pebble and remained quiet. Forget being the biggest asshole in the universe, I was the biggest asshole that ever existed. _Period_.

"I'm sorry." All Might apologized.

When my eyes darted up to face the taller man, his eyes were downcast like he was someone who got an epic scolding. I also spotted the flush of shame crawling up his neck, tracked the way his body began to fold as paper would when forced. And the smell of his blood became thin and weak, his insides squirming in discomfort. His gaunt features and shadowed eyes looked darker and scrawnier than they already were. His usually tan appearance, I noticed, looked pale. Had he been overworking himself than normal? Had he spent countless hours in the office (while also keeping up with his patrol hours) to oversee the completion of the school? Had he spent painstaking time looking over the qualifications of each teacher to ensure every student would be taken of?

How could he do that? How could someone who did so much to help people treat me like I was the one individual he wronged?

I used his faith in me to fabricate a false story so if it reached his ears, he would have no choice but to confirm or otherwise fall under suspicious scrutiny himself. Even after what I did, he was standing there and looking sorry for causing so much trouble.

What. The. Fuck. Even?!

"Stop apologizing to me, goddammit!" I exploded, unable to contain myself. "Just... Fucking hell, just shut up and don't say anything!"

The blond appeared taken aback from the sudden verbal attack.

People have been hurting me since I was a toddler—the old man being the first among them. I faced the city's fury, spite, and disgust, and I had more scars than the kind that left behind marks across my knuckles ad arms. My life had been judged before I had the chance to live it to its fullest, and from this I grew up learning how to navigate in the ugliest way possible: by being a mean bastard. Dealing with so much bullshit meant I had to fight back harder, dirtier, bloodier even. One of my strongest tactics in dealing with someone was throwing them under the bus, watching people tear them apart like hungry wolves to fresh meat.

A lot of people called it dishonest and cowardly, but I called it surviving long enough to see the next day. Unfortunately, the tactic that saved my ass a couple times in the past ended up putting someone I knew in the damning spotlight.

"I'm the asshole who used you as a buffer to cover his own ass and all you can do is apologize to me?! Jesus Christ! Stop trying to protect me because good people wouldn't do that to someone who trusted them! Be mad! Shout! Say something besides _I'm sorry_!"

The last thing I expected as a response was a _hug_.

On large hand pressed the nape of my neck, another resting at the top of my head, and my face pushed into All Might's scrawny torso, I stood stock still. I didn't realize how heavy I was breathing until I stopped shouting at the man, lungs gradually replenishing itself from my angry tirade.

"You've been dealing with this for a majority of your life, Sengoku-kun. Your family did their best to protect you as much as they could, but in the end you still ended up having to fight alone." All Might's palms spread warmth across the skin of my name when he gave a gentle squeeze. "You probably got it in your head that you can take of this yourself without making your folks worry, and I believe it's made you forget what it means to trust someone to have your back."

That's not true.

Izuku used to be there.

Used to, I reminded myself.

"It's okay, young Sengoku. Whatever road you choose to follow," All Might said. "Know that I've got your back."

Without meaning to, I leaned my full weight against him and buried my face.

"You're not a bad person, young man. You're a good boy."

Being so close to All Might, I could hear his heart and shallow breathing of his remaining lung. His inner organs that were missing almost half itself sounded lonely and sad, and All Might often times looked tired after wasting the last bit of his quirk for the day from rescuing people and taking down criminals before they caused serious trouble.

The burden of being number one in my opinion was the heaviest responsibility to carry on this tired man's shoulders, and yet he continued on even as the twisted scars on his side throbbed painfully, reminding him that his time as a hero was coming to an end. This idiot didn't deserve to go out like a dying fire losing its blazing willpower. More than that, the dumb blond shouldn't force himself to bear the pain just to keep everyone happily oblivious.

"Okay."

This wasn't for me.

"Sengoku-kun?"

"Okay."

This wasn't about me.

Pulling away from the hug, I let out a stuttering breath.

"I'll take it."

This was for the fool I couldn't stand to watch himself get hurt because he wanted to be a hero with a smile on his face.

"I'll take One for All."

This was someone I didn't want to see bleed for me.

* * *

Jinchōge Toboe - Her name means "Winter daphne" and "Whiskers". Her quirk is producing a sweet-smelling fragrance which could be used to sooth some anxious people in the hospital. She's really popular in the children's ward.

Shōki Kyōra - His name means "Swamp Gas" and "Misfortune".

Genbu - His name means "Basaltic".

Kugutsu Nazuna - Her name means "Puppet" and "Sheperd's Purse".

Gatonden Akinau - His name means "Lying pig palace" and "Trade". He doesn't have a quirk because I couldn't think of one since he's only appearing in one chapter.

Kazue - Her name means "One Benefit". Her quirk is fireworks. It's almost similar to Bakugō's, but it's more of a dazzling and distracting quirk, but it can still be considered dangerous if used in a certain way.

Zushinezumi Kōichi - His names means "Wardrobe Rat" and "Light, Widespread first son". His quirk is a mix between Isho's design and Best Jeanist's fiber manipulation, so it helps that he wants to create hero costumes in order to support them (and the first person who he'll lend his aid to is of course Kuzan).

Sameodori Okita - His name means "Shark Dance" and "Ocean Center". His quirk is Tiger Shark (he's kind of similar to Gang Orca, except he needs to constantly wear the water filter tube around his gills because he gets dry more easily).

Sakasagami Sachiko - Her name means "Reverse Hair" and "Child of Bliss". Her character is based on both the Grudge spirit and the Corpse Party spirit. Her quirk is hair manipulation.

Tenjikubotan Haruka - His name means "Dahlia" and "Spring Flower". His quirk is the manipulation of poisonous plants (he's immune to their touch, so don't go touching them yourself).

Ōga Kiyoshi - His name means "Ogre" and "Soundless". His quirk is sound negation.

Sarugaku Reo - His name means "Monkey Music" and "River". His quirk is empathy.


	11. Chapter II: The Words

**CHAPTER ELEVEN IS BEING REVISED, PLEASE STAND BY!**


	12. Chapter II: The Outsider

**A/N:** Here comes a new chapter and the start of something everyone's been waiting for! Roll out the red carpet and bring your cameras because U.A. has officially arrived! No pictures please *poses for the cameras anyway*! Sorry I took long with this chapter guys! I wanted to do some research and explore a few things (aka world build some more shit because anime logic isn't sometimes cutting it for me) before I posted the chapter. I hope it's to your liking and will give everyone an insight to some stuff.

I also want to inform you guys that I drew pictures on Deviantart in case you lot want to get a good look at Kuzan up close rather than squinting at the cover art from the page's summary. I drew him in uniform and hero costume! My username is _Mutt99_ , so you guys don't get lost or whatever. Tell me what you guys think about the pics! There's another topic I want to go over so I won't get heckled about it later in the reviews but that'll wait for the next chapter.

To the reviews that you all so graciously left for me to read and reply with!

 ** _Prince,_** I'm all about the angst, bruh. ( •_•)⌐■-■ (⌐■_■)

 _ **errydaymPurple,**_ Excuse you and your entire race...?! Who's the one reading late at night when the pupper is trying to sleep? I'm not making you read this story! You don't get to point fingers, you late night _gremlin_! ｡゜(｀Д´)゜｡

 ** _redskin122004,_** One day when "Rubber Band Theory" comes out, I'm going to dedicate a chapter for you about what Kuzan smells regarding his classmates (and maybe his teachers). And don't worry, Mineta will get his just dues, maybe not immediately but I promise you he will be taken care of, so bear with his presence a little while longer!

 ** _Phantom Aficionado,_** Take your time in coming up with a new chapter. Writer's block is a bitch but something you'll get around once you're motivated enough. I'd personally recommend you watch the anime again, it might help a lot into dragging your interests and kicking your muse into gear. Or maybe go looking through other fanfics of the similar genre. That sometimes helps me when I'm out of fuel.

 ** _Satoru Ryoma,_** I don't think I explained Chaos Theory correctly because it's more numerical and mathematical (a subject of which I fail in epic proportions), so I did as best I could with what little I understood of it and tried to paint it like it's effect could be more or less. The Butterfly Effect thing has been used over and over, so I wanted to try Chaos Theory and make it sound a little like statistics rather than something magical and/or supernatural.

 ** _Guest5555,_** I'm honestly stumped with the romance gig. Like, I need to write down the story first and then look back to see how his interactions with the students of 1-A effect them personally before I could pair him up with someone. It's too early to tell because there needs to be connections and moments before anything can go further, you know what I mean? So only time can tell.

 ** _Rinto,_** I like this Toshinori, too. I'm glad other people like him as well.

 ** _Guest,_** Yeah. Like what Horikoshi did with Izuku's mom, Inko, I don't want to throw aside his family like that. They've been through a lot of shit together, so it'd be mean of me to do that anime thing where they're forgotten and nobody cares and they don't have opinions. Sure, I don't feature them a lot now but hopefully this change Kuzan's going through will bring them closer. It's too soon but it will get there.

 ** _TROLLGuest,_** I absolutely agree. There's just something about All Might that gives me troll vibes as well. I should stay away from tumblr, that place is a bad influence on me.

 ** _Ferna52,_** I can't find any reliable sources on where to find accurate words from the Nordic regions, so thanks for telling me. I went back and rewrote some of the words, hopefully they're a better improvement.

 ** _TRASHKIING,_** Here's more of Kuzan and his shitty attitude for you buddy! :D

 ** _Klutzybear,_** I totally agree with you there! That part always bothered me so much because there could have been so many ways how the heroes could have taken care of the issue but instead they appeared to have lost control of the situation and went into a tizzy. And those spectators that were watching, oh my God...! *angry pterodactyl screeching*

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter II: Part II**

 **.**

* * *

Well, I thought as I surveyed the building and its surroundings, it was certainly something.

The building was cube shaped and completely covered in reflective glass windowpanes (plexiglass perhaps?). The four columns were erected in each corner but were connected by elevated glass walkways for easier passage between the gaps of the buildings, it seemed a lot more simpler than having to go down all the way to the ground floor only to go back up when arriving to a different section. Or maybe there was a reason why the four columns stood separated from one another.

Since there was the Department of Heroics, the Department of Support, the Business Department, and General Education to consider, it meant that each course had their own building which focused solely on whatever studies the students ended up in. The design of the building appeared hideous rather than majestic (All Might looked at me like I was speaking blasphemy), but it did its job in being effective on where to place the students. It was easier to track departments that way, too. Yet this was based on my own assumptions about the entire school, for all I know the classes were mixed up and everyone treated the hallways like highways to travel between their classes.

Jeez, all this analyzing was starting to make me sound a lot like Izuku.

Observing the cheesy archways of the building's great entrance, I couldn't help but shake my head at the sight of it all. This was overkill, plain and simple. It was like I walked into a fast food restaurant and ordered myself a simple meal but instead got the super-sized deluxe. U.A. was ridiculously huge!

 ** _bump_**

"Move, Bastard."

Right, even though I was standing a little off from the sides so I wouldn't get in anyone's way, people still "accidentally" bumped into me then proceeded to chastise me for blocking the entrance. Broken out of my stupor, I followed the directions to where everyone was gathering for the written exams. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that people were being split up. It most likely had to do with which department people wanted to go for, with a majority aiming to go for heroics.

If memory served right, the kids that were about to take the practical exams ended up in some huge ass auditorium.

Alright then, I thought to myself, it was simple enough; my biggest concern was the first part of the exams because those pursuing heroics had to know the basic laws and accords regarding the superhuman society, and since I pretty much treated the majority of society as another otherworldly existence that didn't operate around my own solar system, I was way behind. Subjects like this at least took more than a year to understand because there was so much to go over, but those nine months studying and researching with Kawaki-sensei were going to have to do.

After that, the rest was up to me.

Before we went our separate ways, All Might warned me not to dally around when taking on the practical test because the judges would be observing the whole thing. He couldn't share too much details but I understood the gist of what he was trying to say.

The second half of the exams was what worried All Might the most, and for good reason.

While my performance in the mock battle trial was important, the biggest challenge ultimately fell on trying to convince the audience, the Pro heroes serving as faculty members of U.A.'s staff, that I, the Gunnarsen Bastard, was worth keeping around.

The thought of having to play around in their hands like a puppet to its puppet master made me feel sick. More than that, it made me feel angry and used. However, I knew I had to suck it up and play along because a certain someone had done so much for me and asked nothing in return. For their sake, I would swallow my pride and head straight into the exams, prepared to put Star Spangled Man with the Plan to shame.

"You've got to be joking."

"What is _he_ doing here?"

"They're seriously letting the Bastard in after what he did to his own school?"

"Don't worry, they'll send his sorry ass out the front door."

"He must be a bigger moron than his folks if he thinks he can simply waltz in after what his family did."

"The absolute gall."

"Bastard."

Right, of course. Looked like it was time to stop dawdling and power walk towards the entrance so I didn't have to stick around with these jackasses to hear their little woes on why their life sucks because I happened to be within the same vicinity as them. That was fine, no skin off my back. I didn't come here to prove myself to them in particular. All I had to do was do good in the eyes of the judges and that was that, no more pretending to be a submissive sycophant.

Every one of these fuckers were competition, and the more they kept talking shit, the more invigorated I felt. Oh yes, I thought insidiously to myself with an internal sneer, I was going to enjoy grinding these cannon fodder into fine dust.

... Great.

Now _I_ was starting to sound a lot like Bakugō.

...

An hour later after I finished writing an essay inside the test packet, I gathered my things and dropped the thin packet off on the desk the proctor sat quietly behind, eyes never leaving the students for in case someone tried to cheat.

To my surprise, the written exam wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be. Maybe they were going easy on us, maybe people were spreading false rumors to hype up the fear factor to make future students work their asses off, or maybe I was okay because I had Kawaki-sensei to drill this stuff into my head, whatever the reason, I finished earlier than intended and walked out the room.

Following the signs and directions given by staff, lo and behold I was walking inside the large auditorium. People shuffled around in the dark, avoiding bumping into each other as they looked for the row of seats they were assigned to. Ignoring the several looks I got, and easily side-stepping the legs that tried to trip me on my way up, I found my row and walked down the aisle.

This whole thing really took me back. It was like I was sitting in a classroom with the professor using a giant light projection to lecture us about whatever topic we were going over. If I had to pick one class I actually enjoyed learning from, it was my philosophy one. There was just something fascinating about learning how people came up with these ideas, their interpretations on the meaning of life, if religion was an existence man created rather than the other way around, and what traditions became part of a culture.

It was the only class I shared with my dorm mate, and it was one I likely never going to forget. My dorm mate struggled with keeping his grades up so he wouldn't have his scholarship taken from him, and I did my best to tutor and explain what little I knew of the subject he had difficulties with because I wasn't keen on the idea of losing him to a complete stranger. I didn't want to go through another beginning where we tried to pretend the other didn't exist (anime was what really got me and my dorm mate to talk to each other after the first few days of awkward tension).

Whenever the professor started a lecture about whatever we were taking notes on to later study from our rented text books, my dorm mate was always raising his hand to ask a question pertaining to the subject matter. At first it'd be silly things like a movie or a book he had come across, but once my dorm mate got going, he would note the similarities of what he saw and what the professor was teaching us. From there, everyone would pitch in with their own thoughts and opinions, and the professor encouraged the whole discussion by adding his two cents now and then to keep it going.

And this was the same guy who pronounced AP Chemistry class as "App Chemistry".

"Oi, Sen _gaki_ , move over."

I came close to swallowing my own tongue when I saw who was coming down the aisle towards me.

"Kamitsuku...?"

The name that rolled out of my tongue sounded hesitant because I almost didn't recognize the guy if not for his unique smell (he always smelled like that nauseating cologne brand from the drug stores). His most recognizable feature was his pompadour, always spearheading the teen's confident stride when crossing the hallways, but now his hair was flat and tied back in a messy man-bun with only a few free strands falling over his face.

"Who else, you dumb shit?" Kamitsuku glared as he made his way closer to my spot.

The other boy reached the empty space next to me and sat himself down, his belongings settled next to his feet just like everyone else. It was stupid of me to do so, but I couldn't stop staring at him like he was Jim Kirk beamed down from his starship. Tangerine and sea-foam green caught one another and Kamitsuku narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

"What? Got something to say about me being here?" Kamitsuku snarled, fingers twitching like he was waiting for me to make a move.

The other kids surrounding us began to lean away, the air clustered and mixed with all sorts of aroma, fragrance, and odor melted into uneasiness. Everyone knew what school I came from, and since Kamitsuku wasn't afraid to imply that he came from the same school as me, people became distressed at the possibility of a fight breaking out in the middle of a crowded auditorium. You had to have been living under a rock to not have seen the news coverage over what happened in Jakku, watching the feed as hundreds of people ran each over trying to get away from the danger.

They were all thinking about a second coming of an explosion, of facing another herd of panicking students, of being tripped over and stomped on, of being burned alive, and whatever else sort of lies the unreliable news sources were spewing. Even after my name was cleared and the reports of what truly transpired was made public, people still looked at me like I was the maniac behind it all.

Back to the question the other surly kid threw at me, my answer was yes: I actually wanted to say several things about Kamitsuku being here. How was even allowed through the front gate? Was the school's background check on every student's record a bogus lie? Or did the staff at Jakku lose their students' records? Or maybe they didn't care about important stuff like that? Whatever it was, the other teen shouldn't be here.

But he was here, and it looked like he was going to stick around. Besides, the school would just look at me as if I was a pot calling the kettle black should I try to confront them of the issue. Kamitsuku got the benefit of having a clean slate during that sweep through Jakku, and I was willing to bet that it was the same for other students that had fallen through the cracks because there was simply too many of us for the school to keep an accurate head count on.

Meanwhile, I was the one stuck under the magnifying glass.

Like a bitter pill I had to force myself to swallow, I turned away from the other boy and pointedly stared ahead of me.

The auditorium's light went dim, signaling the beginning of the presentation for the second half of the exams. With everyone sitting in the dark, the only light was the front stage and the giant holographic projection screen that displayed the school's logo. The murmuring from all around quickly died down when a lonesome figure stepped up on the stage.

" _HELLO_ ~, my listeners!"

I froze.

"I hope you've come prepared for the mock battle exams because it's a go-go _PLUS ULTRA_ from here, ya dig?"

The person standing behind the podium on the stage had blond hair done up like a cockatoo bird's fluffed up crown, wearing a black leather attire like he was someone belonging of that from a heavy metal rock band. There was a device wrapped around his neck, but—

I didn't care to look.

Suddenly I wasn't sitting the the middle of a dark auditorium.

"Everybody say _HEY_ ~!"

 _I was screaming._

 _I was screaming at the top of my lungs._

 _I was screaming for someone to hear._

 _It hurt, my throat felt hot and my chest burned like I had been running for too long or coughing so hard from something clogging my wind pipe, yet I didn't stop. Even if it hurt me, even if it made it seem like I was going to start coughing up blood if I kept at it, it was a better alternative than what was going to happen if I didn't._

 _The trees from above seemed to crouch down towards the earth, their branches like fingers and claws reaching to snatch me and keep me still. The wind whistled sharply against my ears, my skin tingling from the air that caressed against it, leaving behind chills._

 _I screamed out loud._

 _But all anyone could hear was the concert._

 _Beats and tandems, hands clapping and voices following the lyrics of a song playing. The high pitch coming from the distance deafened everything else, the chanting rising in volume as the rhythm grew faster and stronger. All the noises overlapping while I was left to cry out helplessly in the bloody darkness threatening to swallow what little light was left._

 _I was screaming so much that I felt my throat constricted itself from the pain against my inner vocal chords._

 _But I had to._

 _Someone had to hear me and_ _—_

 ** _slap!_**

I jerked wildly, knees knocking against the underside of the table I was sitting behind. There was no longer dark trees reaching their branches towards me, no longer sharp winds rushing by him, no longer thumping music and songs filling the night with noise that drowned out my screaming. I was sitting inside a large, spacious room with hundreds of other kids. I was in U.A. to enroll for the heroics courses.

I was here.

Nowhere else but here.

Kamitsuku stared at me like I was a bat out of hell, his usually aloof demeanor replaced with a look of uncertainty as we both sat there in the tense atmosphere surrounding us.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" the teen quietly demanded while eyeing me up and down. "You look like you're gonna throw up. You gonna crap your pants or something?"

For a delusional second, the vague idea of Kamitsuku being concerned for my well being entered into my brain. But then I quickly realized how ridiculous the notion sounded in my head and immediately ejected the thought out through the other ear.

It took a few seconds to realize I was trembling, fingers twitching and my breathing coming off as heavy. There was sweat gathering on my brow, feeling suddenly hot under the collar despite the neutral temperature of the room. I felt somewhat stifled by the crowds surrounding me.

A couple of kids nearby looked at me with a flicker of alarm in their eyes, their scent becoming tainted with fear from watching my behavior seemingly become out of control. It didn't take much to figure out that they believed I was going to pull another stunt that resulted in destruction and complete pandemonium. Some of them even looked ready to bolt for the doors like I was going to spontaneously combust.

"I—"

The lights came on and the doors to the auditorium opened back up.

Presentation was over.

"Shit." I muttered.

I didn't even get to hear the rules of the presentation at all! Before I could think about internally screaming like all those gifs I had seen when exploring the internet of my computer back then, the other boy noticed my dilemma and gave a patronizing snort.

"Fucking dumbass. You got your exam ticket, right?" he pointed at the small note that was tucked away in the pocket of my backpack.

There was my picture stamped on the side, my number, and some other notes printed out. It was something everyone had to get before entering the school grounds to avoid people trespassing their property.

"Whatever letter is stamped in your paper, that's the block you go to." Kamitsuku stood up, bag already strapped over his shoulder. He dropped a small pamphlet in front of me. "So much for being a smartass, huh Sen _gaki_?"

I watched him go as he roughly brushed by everyone to leave the aisle. I looked down at my desk and stared at the pamphlet with confusion before reaching to unfold it.

Inside the paper pamphlet were four images of bulky-looking silhouettes. Making quick work of reading the instructions and pulling up the memories of the story about the upcoming mock battle, my foggy memories started to clear the path in front of me that my unease gradually settled. I definitely remembered a part where there was robots running amok around a city.

Resources were scarce in this country, but there were no stopping a bunch of robotic engineering genius's from moving forward the future, creating things that put the robots of my past life to shame. Sure, they were recycled and had to get updates, but there was something to marvel about the advancement in AI technology. I had seen a couple of bots on the streets a few times, working as little helpers to those with disabilities or of advanced age. And sometimes they swept through the city to keep the public clean of any littering trash not properly disposed of.

"Um, h-hey there!"

A familiar-looking stranger stood in front of me.

Brown doe-like eyes, face soft and round, and their hair cut to a chin length with only the front bangs extending a few inches longer. I could smell green tea coming off them like a perfume, along with the smell of asphalt and oil that came from heavy machinery.

There was an awkward pause between the two of us, staring at each other like a pair of gaping idiots.

"I was," the person fumbled a little, their already rosy cheeks turning even more red and their pulse quickening. "I was coming over to tell you everyone's already leaving the auditorium, a-and it looked like you were kind of lost, so I... thought you needed help...?"

Another pause, the silence growing strained as the seconds ticked by.

"Guess we better go." I finally muttered.

"Yeah! We should totally do that!" the person exclaimed loudly, causing me to lean a little backwards. "I just thought to help because, you know, it'd be kind of bad luck to be left behind before the exams even started!"

After an awkward wave goodbye, I watched the person scarper down the aisle to follow the rest of the lingering people exiting the auditorium.

I remembered her.

Those bright eyes and her bubbly personality.

She was suppose to be the first person Izuku came across as an ally.

The first person he met in the exams, the first person who reached out to him with welcome arms, the first person who offered her friendship and support as easily as offering napkins, and the first person outside his mother to genuinely care about him despite his odd habits. Since the beginning, she was there to push him in becoming a somewhat confident person who could turn to others when he was in a bind of some sort.

But now...

Inhale.

She was only being polite, giving me a small heads up that I was lagging behind while everyone else was leaving to head towards the locker rooms. Grabbing my backpack, I followed the crowd, all of them removing their uniforms for attire better suited for action and combat.

Exhale.

It was time for the second half of the exams to begin.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The weather was cold but a lot of people dressed lightly because they knew things were about to get heated.

Dressed in a long-sleeved black compression shirt, sleeveless hoodie, Nike shoes, and basketball shorts, I was ready to release everything that's been building up to this point. I hadn't felt this jumpy since back when I was still attending the gym with Izuku and Bakugō. There was so much pent up energy and negative emotions that I wanted to let loose, slamming my fists against the leather surface of the heavy bags like a man possessed by wrath.

And after years of keeping away, that energy that I locked up for so long was starting to claw its way through the bars while teething the shackles wrapped around it, begging to be let out.

Not wanting to cause another little scene like the one in the auditorium, I started on my work out routine while ignoring the chatter coming from the group not too far from me. Like always, I felt their eyes boring holes on the back of my head and their hushed tones voicing their judgement.

"Seriously, what the hell is he doing here?"

"Why hasn't the school done something?"

"The Gunnarsen Bastard thinks he can go wherever he pleases, huh?"

"The moment the door opens, I'm gonna make damn sure he doesn't get a single point."

"Hey, that's not a bad idea."

"I'm down for it."

"Bastard doesn't deserve scrappy seconds."

One of the few rules the mock battle insisted on was no pulling dirty tricks against other participants of the exams. They couldn't attack me, they couldn't hinder my quirk, they couldn't do absolute shit to me... but somehow they found a loophole in where they could hog all the points for themselves while keeping me from getting any. It stood between the line of following instructions while also making sure that I couldn't gain a single villain point so I could become one of the few people selected to join the Department of Heroes.

"That is no way for a would-be hero to conduct him or herself!" someone shouted in the background, sounding harried.

Pausing from the leg stretching exercise I was in the middle of, there was another familiar face who stood out from the crowd. He was dressed in a tight-fitted. short-sleeved blue compression shirt with matching shorts, and strapped to his feet were enforced-looking armor. The guy was waving his arms around like he was karate chopping the air.

"You do know who that is, don't you?" a jackass blatantly pointed towards my direction. "That's the Gunnarsen Bastard, you moron."

"Even so, I find intentional sabotage during an exam to be the sort of thing only a villain would do! If we are to become U.A.'s future students, we all must represent the school with pride and honor!" the bespectacled boy continued, including his odd arm motioning.

" _Ugh_ , who is this robot?"

"Buzz off, four eyes!"

Finishing the last of bit of my exercise with a quick rotation of the waist, I turned to face the rest of the gathered crowd. The whole thing made me feel like a lone guy facing an entire army full of angry assholes. The glaring increased tenfold and their posture spoke of resentment which was tightly contained since no one wanted to risk disqualification for starting a fight. And right before an exams, too. Besides, I was dealing with a bunch of idiotic juveniles brainwashed into believing I was the big bad their parents exaggerated about during bedtime.

Some of them arrived with equipment that probably helped enhanced their quirk, but probably not by much given how every one of them would check their things over and over while murmuring high hopes it wouldn't break down in the middle of their mock trial.

"Got something to say, Bastard?" a guy with a drill on his head snapped at me.

Not bothering to answer, I simply crossed my arms and started to roll lazily on the soles of my feet. My devil-may-care attitude got the reaction I expected, and if anyone had a quirk that could shoot lasers from their eyes, I'd be a pile of ashes by now.

"What's with that look? You lookin' down on us?"

"Cocky little shit!"

"Wipe that smug look off your face!"

It was so easy to make people react. I didn't have to say anything, didn't have to go swinging around my dick for some attention, and I sure as hell didn't have to throw any shade at them to make them believe I got some beef against everyone because me making little gestures and expressions was warrant enough to get all of them to come after my blood. The whole thing made me shake my head, eyes rolling heavenward in exasperation at their pitiful behavior.

 _'And these guys are suppose to be the future heroes protecting our fine city?'_

U.A. needed to check the quality of the students rather than the quantity of their impressive quirks.

"Why don't you actually say something instead of looking all high and mighty, Bastard!" another spat, practically frothing at the mouth from anger.

My eyes flicked over everyone's heads for a second then dropped back to their glowering faces.

"Run."

" _Ah_?" a goggle-wearing doofus gave a sarcastic laugh. "You threatening us?"

A feral-looking smile was all the idiot got in return.

" _START_ ~!"

Present Mic's sudden announcement caught everyone off guard, leaving them to falter and freeze in their spots. Nobody noticed the tiny figure coming from the high observation tower that overlooked the city blocks, and the brats were too busy ganging up on me to notice the gates behind them swinging open. So the moment Present Mic released a loud bellow from the tower, I was already vaulting over the stunned faces of the crowd then speeding through the gates.

"What the fuc—"

Then the stillness broke and everyone was suddenly running after me, shoving and pushing one another that I was reminded of the kids back in Jakku after the cafeteria broke out into mass panic. This was a different sort of desperate, all of them crowding around the entrance way, footsteps thundering, but their shouts faded as I left them in the dust.

The smell of oil and the steady thrum of electrical circuits caught my attention. There had to be more of them because the smell and noise was strong, and it seemed that they were coming just around the corner, too. Spotting a tall street lamp on the sidewalk's turn, I ran towards it. With a leap, I caught the lamp and swung my legs to whip it around just in time to slam them into the incoming bots.

To my delight, there was three of them; two one pointers and a three pointer.

 _'Five points!'_

The hard alloy dented from the powerful blow, the circuits and machinery from within exposed and crackling before the thing fell into a messy heap on the street. The two others followed the same fate, one of them crashing into a nearby fake car.

I winced at the sight, remembering somewhere in my studies and several talks with dad that heroes had to keep damage of public property to a minimum. It was why most fights had to be done quickly because drawing it out any further caused more damage and more civilian casualty.

Back to the exams, I spotted a couple more bots ahead of me and hurried on over before someone tried to take the points for themselves. I heard enough people from behind starting to catch up while looking frantically for a robot victim to claim. The bots themselves put a little show of resistance by shooting a couple of non-lethal tasers to both intimidate the examinees while protecting itself.

"Gotcha!"

"I'm gonna totally bag this!"

"In your dreams—"

The four kids running after the bountiful little squad of bots came to a screeching halt, yelping out loud in shock of my sudden appearance.

I literally crashed into the scene, my two feet slamming harshly into one of the bot's sides, causing it to violently throw itself backwards where it ended up colliding with the rest of the other bots. The small group watched the whole thing with their jaws unhinged, their prey swept right from under their claws by another scavenger. Immediately, I was beset with angry faces.

"We saw them first, you jerk!" the sole girl of the group fumed at me.

"Didn't see your name on it." I deadpanned.

Leaving the indignant brats to sputter, I bolted towards the direction of where I could smell more oil and hear the thrumming of circuitry boards not far from where I was. My tally came to eleven points from over a minute, leaving less than nine minutes to gather more points for myself. There was already a few crashes coming from elsewhere, others desperate to get those forty-five points in order to pass. I had to hurry because something of a feeling (or was it a memory?) told me that these bots weren't an endless supply but rather a limited number to weed out the examinees.

It was time to up my game.

 _'Alright,'_ I glanced at my legs as I ran. _'Time to stop messing around.'_

And with a burst—I _flew_.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

 **. Toshinori .**

* * *

The observation room was packed.

Multiple hidden cameras watching and live streaming everything for all to see displayed on the massive holographic screen that took up the entire section of the wall and ceiling. The room was also soundproofed but everyone was still able to make out Present Mic's announcements, reminding everyone below how much time they had left in the mock battle to gather their points. While it was mean, it did produce the results everyone wanted to see. The teachers would pipe up every few seconds to take note of a particular student that caught their eyes.

As amazing as it was to watch these incredible children utilize their impressive quirks to aid them in their mock battle against the "villains", there was a certain someone Toshinori couldn't help thinking about the entire time since he woke up that morning.

Wondering how they were fairing, the blond pulled up a tablet connected to the chair he was occupying and quickly typed the examiner's entire name into the search bar. Principal Nedzu, who he was seated next to, gave him a knowing look but thankfully said nothing, the mammal's attention drawn by another teacher who was bringing up a surveillance video of an examiner with explosive powers (Bakugō, if Toshinori recalled correctly).

Ducking his head, Toshinori watched the tablet's screen intently as it searched for the specific examiner until one of the many cameras scattered across the urban city finally spotted him.

"Holy shit...!"

His blue orbs flickered over towards the scoreboard keeping track of the teen's villain points. The double digit number made Toshinori choke, causing him to cover his mouth and cough. Some of the people around him started, thinking he was having another one of his bloody coughing fits.

"Sorry, sorry!" he felt his face flush in embarrassment. "Wrong tube."

"Oh?" Kayama, the scantily clad heroine, leaned in close to spy on the screen he was holding in his hands. "See something you like?"

Ignoring the double innuendo she threw at him (something that was starting to become a constant occurrence for whenever she was in the mood for some small talk), the older man felt his insides shrivel up at the idea of another backlash waiting to repeat itself like it did in the aftermath of the sludge villain incident.

Toshinori could never forget how everyone ganged up on the boy who risked his life to save a familiar acquaintance of his.

The boy turned his angry eyes on the mob, confronting them of their own mistakes. He called out the heroes for their ridiculous plan that almost resulted in a child dying under their watch, all of them having become frantic and hoping for the right hero to come along and save the day. The boy also turned towards the civilians and furiously demanded why such a terrifying event excited them. How could they stand there and cheer when people got hurt? How could they risk their own lives for some stupid pictures they wanted to show off later to friends and family? Better question yet, why would they hinder the heroes by standing in the way?

Instead of self-reflection and acknowledgement, Sengoku-kun's words were dismissed and ignored. All everyone seemed to care about was reprimanding the Gunnarsen Bastard and praising the quiet hostage of his amazing quirk.

That day left behind a bitter taste in Toshinori's mouth, and for once it wasn't from the blood clinging at the back of his throat nor the horrendous odor emitting from the captured villain. It was the first time in years that Toshinori didn't feel so victorious when he watched the downtrodden child walk away, disappearing under the swarms of adoring fans and reporters and cameramen.

As much as it pained him to do so, he needed to address the elephant in the room. Taking a note from Recovery Girl's book, Toshinori decided to quickly rip the band-aid off.

"This kid here is pretty good." Toshinori pointed at the screen of his tablet, allowing Kayama—Midnight—to see. "It's been only four minutes and he's already got over thirty points on his belt."

"What? Really?" she perked up, intrigue glittering behind her ringed eyes. "Which examinee? I want to see this."

"In four minutes?!" someone perked up from the row behind his and Midnight's seats. "Put 'em up on screen, Midnight!"

Midnight's finger tapped twice on the tablet's screen, sending it up to the holograph so everyone could see for themselves. Suddenly his lung ceased functioning and Toshinori forgot how to breathe.

Sengoku-kun was speeding down the street like a sports car, avoiding others that were chasing after what was obviously a small group of bots. And then the dark-haired boy leaped, legs spread open before closing around an arm (or was that a tail?) belonging to a three pointer that was about to discharge its beam. Sengoku-kun then began to spin rapidly from his upper torso as if he was a corkscrew until he could no longer do so. He slammed his hands into the concrete below, and Toshinori could barely make out the cracked and disfigured asphalt street where the boy's fingers were digging into it.

Hefting the captured robot the boy still clutched between his legs, Sengoku-kun allowed his lower half to unwind itself. The rapid spinning made the innards of the bot fall apart from the momentum, sending the pieces scattering to random directions. And that wasn't even the best part.

While the robot was still spinning, Sengoku-kun stretched his lower half and swung himself in a wide arc where he crashed into other bots nearby. The kid was really going above and beyond in the battle trial, killing two birds with dozens of stones.

A soft whistle filled the air, the owner obviously expressing how impressed they felt about the display.

" _Damn_. This kid seems to know what he's doing."

"What's his quirk? Can he make his whole body bendable?"

"Looks like elasticity to me."

 _'Rubber more like.'_ Toshinori mentally corrected them.

Sengoku-kun ducked through an alleyway entrance, hoping to find more targets on the other side of the buildings but found his path to be riddled with fence links, turned over garbage dumpsters, and tight fitting fire escapes. Not deterred by the sight, Toshinori felt his heart skip a beat while watching the dark-haired boy on the screen vaulting, climbing, running, and flipping through the obstacles in his way. The movements were too smooth and fluid to be labeled as amateur running, and there was not a single trace of hesitance when he easily dodged and flipped through the alley in such a speed the camera barely caught it all.

The boy was very well trained in the art of free running.

"Who is this kid?"

"He's on a roll here!"

Young Sengoku reached the other side of the alley in time to attack a bot that was moments away from striking a distracted examinee. It's mainframe was a complete mess under the power of the boy's quick fist, and Sengoku-kun was gone from the scene before anyone realized what had happened.

"Notice how he's always bringing the targets towards himself rather than throwing them around at random? I'm surprise he knows how to restrain himself to keep damage to a minimum."

"Yeah," another agreed. "We tell them to go all out on villains, but we don't tell them to consider their surrounding areas."

Indeed, Toshinori agreed, it would have appeared that the young man was going all out but most of them could see how controlled and contained it all was. Young Sengoku took care not to break buildings and parked cars, keeping an eye out for both the environment and the other examinees running around to avoid things turning messy. Sure, there was plenty of people with quirks that enabled their society to rebuild itself to its former glory, but every hero knew time and time again that they needed to keep their quirks and battles within a perimeter, and it was for this reason why All Might was always zooming into the scene to nip the bud before hero/villain clashes escalated.

Sadly, not a lot of heroes carried this caution (e.g. Mount Lady).

"Wait a second..." a harsh and muzzled voice interrupted the praising. "I feel like I've seen this boy from somewhere."

Whatever small bit of comfort Toshinori felt from hearing the teachers praising Sengoku-kun immediately went up in smoke. The glowering tone of the speaker echoing from somewhere in the darkness of the observation room—it had to be Inui Ryō—sent unwelcome chills down the blond's spine. There was no delight, no hint of amazement, instead all he could hear was suspicion and reservation.

Something soft touched his hand (he was clutching his seat, his knuckles pale from the holographic screen's glow) and he found Nedzu staring up at him.

Toshinori felt helpless when the screen in front of them began to zoom its lenses on Sengoku-kun who moved, jumped, danced around the urban setting, his face too blurred from his speed and constant motion. The camera screens changed their angles, determined to capture the boy's face so everyone could see and discover who exactly they were watching.

As if hearing the blond summoning him by thought alone, the boy halted from his run after taking down another bot.

The boy's tangerine orbs danced across the screen, darting all around for another villain to claim. He looked absolutely feral on the big screen, like a beast hunting and devouring anything that he could sink his claws into, ever hungry and utterly insatiable.

And as quickly as he appeared on the camera's locked frame, eyes glowing ominously, him and his tangerine orbs blurred out of the screen like wind on the run.

It was quiet. No one said anything.

He no longer had his stomach, but there was a phantom feeling of it twisting itself from inside him.

"... The Gunnarsen boy is here?" came a quiet demand, a tone that was on the edge of bleeding into angry accusation.

Feeling enraged on behalf of the boy, Toshinori wanted to throw caution out the window and face the spectators. He felt like exploding into his larger form, like an animal raising its fur to appear larger than it actually was. Principal Nedzu's hold didn't let up, forcing the older man to remain seated. From the calm look on the mammal's expression, it seemed that Toshinori didn't need to lift a finger to take care of it.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Nedzu calmly spoke up, drowning out the hushed murmuring going all around the dark room. "I hope you all are not insinuating that you believe in such ridiculous rumors over the truth of what happened at the incident in Jakku Junior High."

Toshinori could see several of the teachers exchanging wary looks from the corner of his eye.

"It'd be quite the embarrassment for everyone involved if people within the halls of this school caused a misunderstanding over something that's been already dealt with." Nedzu went on before adding, "And it would be quite a bothersome issue if such troublesome news reached my office."

Nedzu's tone was light, airy, and cheerful on the surface, but everyone could hear something ominous brewing beneath the innocuous-looking mammal's appearance.

"But I don't need to worry about that, now do I?" Principal Nedzu exclaimed, clapping his paws together. "Because I believe my wonderful teachers here will know better than to cause such inconveniences inside the classroom! Because I know everyone here will put aside their personal issues in order to teach the next batch of future heroes, no matter who they are!"

 _'Damn.'_ Toshinori thought with a secretive smile.

Always trust the principal to simultaneous break up the trouble festering inside, politely tell it to behave itself, and then grind it into submission just to be thorough. All this while the mammal was drinking out of his finest tea cup, not giving any fucks about the the cheerful mood turning threatening then back to its former which left a lot of people flabbergasted by the sudden whiplash of emotions.

Forget All Might being the number one hero, Principal Nedzu would always stand above everyone from atop the highest peek of the mountain.

"Now then," Principal Nedzu turned back to the screen. "I think it's about time we give these children something more challenging, yes?"

"Yes sir."

The blond leaned back in chair in time to feel a small quake sending vibrations all throughout the building. If memory served him well, Toshinori knew that the examinees below were going to be in for one hell of a surprise.

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"What the hell?"

Everyone paused in their point snatching frenzy, confusion and concern painted across their faces as they looked for the source that made the world tremble.

Hanging off the side of a building with my fingers digging into the red brick wall, I focused all my senses into my hearing and scenting, trying to make out exactly what was coming across the city block.

It was obviously big, the mechanical insides jumbo size, the steam exhaust filtering out with every movement, and the thrumming electrical network it was programmed with growing louder as it came alive. There was another tremor and I saw the glass panels shimmer slightly on the window's frame, the cars below jolting slight from the ground. The decimated bots shifted slightly, and the thunderous steps grew louder and powerful until something started to peek over top the buildings.

For a moment, I couldn't help but stare at the thing like an idiot.

A giant peeking over the edge of a concrete barrier with its bulky hands grabbing onto it? The whole scene was hilariously making a call back to another show I used to watch with my dorm mate and his fellow baseball players. One time, we all stolen away inside an unlocked classroom and used the class projection box to play a Netflix stream on the huge board's white background. While half of us gathered some snacks to munch on, the other half spent the next five minutes plating rounds of rock-paper-scissors to determine who got to pick what everyone would watch. One of the guys won and selected "Attack on Titan".

It was the most brilliantly epic thing I've ever watched, and it was violent as fuck. The show reminded me of an anime version of Game of Thrones, but without the gratuitous sex scenes and dragons.

I was brought back to earth when everyone below the street started to run at the sight of the giant robot coming around the corner. People screeched in terror like they believed they were going to be eaten by a butt naked titan or something.

Oh right, I jumped down the street to join the rest, I'm in the middle of a test. Given that there was a giant spray paint of the number zero on the robot's hulk, it was safe to assume that this was the one everyone was warned not to engage with since there was nothing of its worth in defeating the thing, therefore it was best to leave it be.

This also proved to be a perfect opportunity to take more points while everyone was busying themselves in fleeing. Ignoring the commotion and the colossal zero pointer coming from behind, I examined the area to find what little villain were left.

 ** _BOoOM!_**

A shockwave sent many people stumbling to the floor, and those who weren't brought down by the quake and strong gusts of wind rushing over their heads were tripping over their feet due to the uneven ground the colossal robot created upon impact. The surrounding area became smothered by clouds of dust, and people began to cough from accidentally inhaling it.

Waving away the dust that left me half blind, I almost tripped over a fallen body nearly hidden amongst the surroundings. Tempted as I was to leave them there, they started coughing like crazy and I knew I had to help them or else they'd panic and choke on the dust particles.

"Here," I grabbed their arms. "Take slow breaths."

They stumbled to their feet.

"No, don't hold your breath like that, it won't work." I grabbed the collar of their shirt and pulled it over their mouth to keep any dust to being inhaled again. "Take deep breaths."

Another tremor and thunderous footsteps alerted us that the approaching footsteps of the colossal robot was still coming for us.

"Jesus fuck!" I hissed and pushed the other towards the opposite direction of the robot.

I was all for making the practical exams difficult and scaring the shit out of the examinees because U.A. was all about going big or going home (quite literally in this case), but endangering the lives of these people with the colossal robot breaking streets and collapsing buildings? That was way too excessive! People could have been seriously injured from that hit! Maybe even killed!

We were lucky the robot struck from far behind us rather than on top. Then again, with the way its shadow seemed to loom over everyone, it looked like we were about to find out how damaging it could be once we came into its range. I could hear a few more people somewhere within the dusty smog, still struggling to compose themselves.

"Get up!" I shouted at the people hidden inside the dust cloud. "Get your asses moving! It's coming this way!"

A few seconds later, people started jogging past me, taking care to watch their steps from the crumpled road that threatened to trip their feet. A few finally got the hint to cover their mouths while running for safety. The dust began to settle and more people were running towards the direction everyone else was heading towards without their sight being hindered.

The kid with the karate chopping arms ran by, glances exchanged briefly before he went on while I stuck around to make sure no one was left behind. Once the last straggler went past me, I turned to join the rest of the herd. Eyes still looking around, I pondered if maybe I should go off on another run to search for more leftover bots.

However, a pained whimper halted me from following through with that idea. The almost quiet noise nearly caused me to trip over my own feet because of the abrupt halt in motion, especially when standing on uneven grounds.

Whirling myself around, I searched the wreckage and looked for any signs of the individual while listening to their racing pulse. I was able to locate them towards the furthest part, almost a block away from where the giant bot attacked from behind.

Green tea and machinery.

The doe-eyed girl was buried under heavy debris that were keeping her from wiggling out and joining everyone on the run. Her lungs were still okay, no painful wheezing which meant she didn't suffer any internal damage. However, outwardly I could smell copper and see the red flowing from her forearms and the temple of her head and I could guess she had an unfortunate hard tumble from the bot's blow, but at least that saved her from further damage with the stuff falling on top of her.

Tears were gathering at the rim of her round eyes as her scent became overwhelmed with fear. The machinery overtook the green tea, her distress more evident than that of her facial expression.

The colossal robot was closing in.

"Damn it!" I bolted towards her.

"O-ow..." the brunette softly cried. " _Ow_...!"

"I got you!" I slid to a halt that kicked up some dust.

The girl coughed but I paid it no mind, too busy grabbing the edge of the debris piled over her and putting all my strength in lifting it off her. The ground was rumbling and I could see the colossal robot coming dangerously close to where the girl and I were. Did that thing have any sensors to signal that they were approaching an examinee unable to flee from its path? Would it know when to stop? Was causing so much destruction from above which led for debris to collapse on top of unsuspecting victims necessary?

The practical exams as a whole had so many flaws that it went past my finger count. There was a scared girl bleeding at my feet and this was suppose to be an environment for testing everyone's abilities.

"What a load of bullshit!" I gritted angrily while pushing the heavy concrete plates off the girl, and I winced when some smaller pieces of concrete crumbled onto the floor with a few landing on the girl. "Sorry, I almost got you."

Not trusting to keep the weight up with my arms alone, I started to duck my head and use the rest of my body to lift more of the weight while preventing any more pieces of debris to fall on the poor kid. With a wet sniff, the girl lifted her bloody face but I ignored her in favor of concentrating on adding more weight by pushing higher so whatever else was keeping her pinned would lift off of her. I could still hear the approaching robot edging closer to our position, its giant tires rolling up.

"Can you move?" I asked, voice strained from the weight on my back, shoulders, and head.

"Y-yeah, but my legs are—" I looked down and winced at the sight. There wasn't much blood but they looked pretty mangled.

And before I could think of the next course of action to avoid getting squashed like pancakes while simultaneously preventing further injury on the girl's busted legs, the sound of engine exhaust cut through my scrambling mind. It didn't come from the giant robot behind us because it was too sharp and small in pitch and tone to belong to the colossal, and there was the fact that it was coming from ahead of us.

Snapping my attention forward, I was astonished to spot the approaching figure of the karate kid. It looked more like he was leaping rather than running, and defined arms were pulled back to create a smoothness in his speed. My eyes tracked his fast pace easily, spotting a few protruding cylinders coming from his bulky calves.

Once he was close enough, he cut off his engine quirk and started to run normally until he too skidded to a halt.

"Pull her on your back," I immediately ordered. "Don't yank her out, wrap your arms around her middle and pull her out as carefully as you can."

"Of course! Such valuable knowledge on how one should properly conduct themselves in an emergency situation is vital!" the other boy crouched low while following my instructions to a T, something of a surprise on my part. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm really banged up."

My nose picked up the scent of green tea again, no longer stifled by the fear; I could understand how terrified she must have felt to find herself alone and trapped with people leaving her behind to fend for herself. The sight of complete strangers coming to her rescue must have felt like a breath of fresh air after nearly drowning in the dark.

She wasn't left behind to die, somebody came back for her.

She looped her arms around the other boy's neck so he could easily pull her out from beneath my spread legs. The heavy concrete plates made my muscles twitch a little from the strain, but it didn't affect my performance. I would have helped the girl myself after I had thrown off the concrete debris, but that needed time because sudden movements would have send pieces of the plates falling back on the girl and I didn't want that. And time was not on our side no thanks to the damn robot that was now on top of us if the humongous shadow that darkened the area all around was anything to go by!

"Go!" I ordered frantically, seeing the two freeze with their heads looking up where the robot was. "What the hell are you idiots still standing there for?! _GO_!"

"But—"

Not moving fast enough to my liking, especially when there was a goddamn robot about to squash us all because the idiots judging us weren't doing a damn thing to stop it, I kicked the other teen hard enough to make him stumble back a few feet. Once he was far enough, I hastily lifted the heavy debris off my back, letting it fall backwards. There was a look of alarm coming over the girl and boy's faces, mouths open to shout which was unnecessary because my body could feel the rumbling machine about to run me over.

This was going to get messy.

 ** _splat_**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

 **. Toshinori .**

* * *

Blood splattered all around, the shock of the image sending him into a violent coughing fit. There was hands on his shoulders and back but he couldn't stop because there was nothing but aghast horror written on his face from watching his successor become road kill.

"Oh calm down, All Might," Principal Nedzu's light tone cuts through his panicked mind. "Those tires are for show."

" _WHAT_?!"

"The zero pointer is actually supported by the outer frame of its wheels," Toshinori looked back to find Power Loader sitting a couple of seats away from his and Nedzu's row. He was no longer wearing his giant metal mask, instead using it as a footstool while watching the live stream freely. "The rest of it, like the principal said, is just for show. They're actually a lot like inflatable balloons; anyone who's caught on the underside of the zero pointer, the fake tires will create a shape around the person, virtually leaving them unharmed."

 _'Virtually?!'_

"But the experience will scare the crap out of them." Snipe cackled from somewhere in the room. "Better hope the kid brought extra underwear with him."

"We need to make the practical exams seem like a stimulation akin to real life," Aizawa—Eraserhead—cuts off any sharp retort Toshinori wanted to give to the gun-totting hero. The black-haired man wasn't sitting amongst the teachers, rather he was leaning near the entrance of the observation room. "And we can't afford to make the zero pointers stop every time some kid falls down and can't get back up. It destroys the illusion of danger and the purpose of these exams."

Toshinori turned away from the underground hero and sank down in his seat, quietly exhaling in relief that Sengoku-kun was simply temporarily pinned down rather than getting squashed to death.

"Besides, Sengoku-san's quirk would have deflected any harm had the tires been real." Nedzu stated as he was reading into his personal tablet the blond was able to make out as young Sengoku's personal files. "He didn't only inherit his mother's quirk, he also inherited that of his father's. Elasticity, is it?"

"Rubber." Toshinori quietly corrected the mammal.

"It's fascinating, coming across someone who holds dual quirks rather than a synthesized version of it. I can only think of one other person who is of similar kind."

"Endeavor's son," the large and cube-shaped face of Cementoss helpfully added for the sake of the other teachers left in the dark. "Todoroki Shōto."

The boy's abilities surprised him too. The quirks of Sengoku-kun's mother and father created a child who was sharply aware of his surroundings while utilizing his rubber powers with incredibly effective techniques that guaranteed the boy a win when it came to some good old-fashioned brawling. Toshinori could only imagine how big of a powerhouse the boy will grow to become once he learned how to wield the power of One for All.

He'd be the triple threat no one saw coming.

"Oh, look." Midnight nodded towards the screen.

Back to the holographic display where Toshinori saw his successor disappear under the zero pointer's fake tires, the dark-haired boy sat up. There was a bewildered look painted on the boy's features, undoubtedly feeling like someone who's been had.

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"What the fuck?" I rasped out.

One minute I thought I was going to endure the horrors of becoming a human pancake, yes I know I'm a rubber boy but it's still an experience I could go on living without thank you very much, but then the next thing I know I'm just lying there with air filled material going over me like nothing. I stared after the zero pointer's retreating back, utterly gobsmacked because the appearance made me believe I was going to be crushed by heavy tons of killer robot.

" _FOUR MINUTES LEFT_ , _KIDDIES_ ~!" Present Mic's voice bellowed from the high tower outside the city block.

"Oh my Gosh! You're still alive!"

"What relief!"

Still shocked by the whole being run over by fake tires fiasco, I barely noticed two other bodies joining me on the crumpled street. A pair of hands grabbed me by the cheeks, squishing my face in the process while forcefully twisting my head so that I was face-to-face with the bespectacled boy. The other boy's neon coral eyes were running all over my body, loudly asking whether or not I was falling into shock or experiencing internal damage. I snapped out of my stupefied daze and shook the teen's hands off me.

The doe-eyed girl remained close by, wringing her wrists like she wanted to reach out and do something rather than simply sit there and watch. Her legs were still messed up but she seemed okay for now.

"I'm fine!" I snapped, feeling exasperated by the other boy's incessant need to ask every question in the book regarding my health. "Just a bunch of fucking sadists enjoying scaring the crap out of kids."

"Sadists?" the girl echoed, confused.

I gestured back towards the zero pointer. "Those tires won't crush you. They're inflatables."

"Oh! That's good to know!"

"I see! That explains a lot of the concerns I felt about its presence." I stared at the boy as he stood straight from the ground he was kneeling on, his full height coming next to my own tall stature. "We must treat this exam as if it was real, therefore the danger of death is necessary to motivate many into action and decision making. I'm glad U.A. is considerate enough to put these safety measures to mind when concerning the people risking injury."

"Oh yeah," I bit out scathingly while giving the girl's legs a pointed look. "Totally safe."

"No, he's right," the girl looked at herself. "To be a hero one needs to be prepared for the risks that come with it."

The words died behind my mouth with my anger being splashed away by a bucket full of ice cold logic. The girl being hurt was a clear message: are you willing to sacrifice yourself in the pursuit of protecting others from disasters and villainy? Everyone talked about fame, glory, attention, and money, and they all were arrogant enough to believe that they would one day reach for the stars.

Much as I wanted to fall back to my usual self where I offered unwanted snide commentary about how flawed this system was, I forcefully clamped my teeth shut and swallowed back the vile words.

They were right.

This test was suppose to open our eyes to the truth. Anyone could beat up a bunch of villains, but that was only because the hero had the power, the mind, and the strength to pull it off. There was no room for messing around in the businesses of heroes, so just because it looked cool when someone did it on television didn't mean you go around doing it, too. It was like that Jackass show but without the warning signs to prevent idiots from copying their idols who had years of training to get away from the jaws of danger.

"We should go." I spoke after a moment of silence.

The girl wilted where she sat.

"I didn't get enough points to pass."

Words of comfort wasn't something I spared freely to people, especially to strangers; thankfully I didn't have to force myself to offer any false sense of sympathy for the downtrodden girl because the bespectacled boy took over without hesitation.

"There's nothing more you can do after sustaining an injury to your legs," the other teen informed her, formal but not unkindly. He lowered himself to the ground again so he could help pull her on his back. "You did your best."

 ** _BOOooOOM!_**

The ground gave another rumbling tremor, causing a few things in the area to fall over. The few remaining cars that miraculously avoided becoming steel flavored pancakes bounced from their spots. It wasn't as bad as the first impact but I suspected it was only because me and the others were far out of the robot's range. Still, the tremors were powerful enough to make us wobble where we stood.

Regaining my footing, I looked towards the direction where the robot was wreaking havoc and could easily make out the screams of the people. Most of them sounded terrified, and I could imagine they were losing themselves in the grips of fear rather than trying to calm down and think of how to avoid the zero pointer. I couldn't call them cowards or idiots for feeling the way they did, feeling frantic enough to forget that this was a test and running to preserve their own lives.

The robot was beginning to pull its arm back, preparing to unleash another blow on one of the buildings so more debris would fall on the fleeing examinees. I knew this was a test weeding out the strong, cunning, and courageous from the masses, but that didn't mean they deserved to be treated like cannon fodder!

I wasn't going to stand there gawking like an idiot.

" _TWO MINUTES_ ~!"

Crouching low with only my fingertips and toes touching the solid ground, I felt a surge of power racing down my legs. It filled the muscles of my thighs, calves, and the balls of my feet. It was so strange and foreign—like it was something alive.

It was a force that didn't want to bend to my will, an animal wary of the stranger coming inside its territory and refusing to cooperate no matter how many times I tried to gently coax it. Even after having a whole month to myself since the conclusion of my training at Dagobah Beach, I didn't get the chance to use One for All. Living within a city full of heroes was enough to deter me from trying it out, and One for All wasn't exactly subtle.

But I was not going to let that train of thought stop me. It was now or never.

Ignoring the twin cries of surprise, I shot off like a bullet towards the robot as it was swinging its arm forward.

"One for All: Gomu Gomu no...!"

Sailing through the air, I twisted my body while raising a single leg to deliver a sweep towards the robot demolishing the rooftops of the buildings overhead. Once I was within range, I flung my leg out and watched it stretch itself across the street until it collided against the lower frame of the zero pointer, in the area where it connected its upper torso to the its wheels of transportation.

" _ANACONDA_!"

My leg whip cut through the thing like a hot knife on butter. I flew past the zero pointer as I had aimed my leap towards the underside of its raised arm, and I saw larger amounts of the building collapsing towards the fleeing masses. Some were smart enough to duck and cover the side of a few buildings, few went ahead and tried to destroy the falling debris with the use of their quirks, but everyone else was too busy running away for their lives to care about the concrete about to fall on their heads.

Once my feet touch the ground, I skidded across it like I was water skiing on concrete but didn't stop it as I twisted myself again with another blow surging in the right side of my arm. The long sleeve of my black compression shirt started to tear up, fabric torn off to reveal my skin lighting up like Christmas lights.

There was a cackling of orange tinted energy encircling my arm, and it sent static-like tingles down my arm's veins, but I ignored it in favor of concentrating my aim towards the falling concrete. It would be bad if I accidentally sent the other kids flying like a bunch of rag dolls, and the last thing I wanted to do was send everyone to the hospital because my aiming was shit (and let's not forget the multiple law suits I could be facing).

"TEXAS..." I forced myself into a halt while releasing the swing of my own arm. "SMASH!"

And like a floodgate that's been forced opened, I felt the wind around me turn into a category four hurricane. Rapid flow of air current swirling like a funnel while blowing towards the concrete, disturbing its gravity and then aiming it to the far side of the street where there was no one. My arm trembled from the release of the powerful blow, eyes having to squint because of the dust storm it kicked up from all the air rolling through everyone.

The screaming voices got lost inside the howling winds, hair and clothes thrashing against nature's turbulence.

The debris flew farther and farther away until the air could no longer carry it, letting it fall where there was no longer any examinees standing beneath them. The whirlwind finally calmed itself down, the howling falling quiet, and everyone else left unharmed standing unharmed.

I flopped down on my legs while exhaling a sigh of relief.

"W-what just happened?"

"He punched the air and escalated the wind pressure."

"That's not...! _No way_!"

"The Bastard did that?!"

 ** _creeeeaaak..._**

All the chatter died at the ominous sound coming from the zero pointer that was still looming over everyone. I forced myself to look over my shoulder and stare up at the thing. Its flaring red eyes that signaled its life was out, and the middle part where I cut through with my leg whip attack guaranteed a cut off from the core where it received its orders to pursue the targets yet the dread I felt continued to grow.

And that's when I noticed the colossal robot beginning to tilt forward, metal gears groaning loudly as it fell towards us in seemingly slow motion.

" _Mon Dieu_ ~!" I vaguely heard someone cry in French.

"Oh shit!" another yelped.

" _IT'S COMING DOWN_!"

"GET AWAY!"

Intending to follow that brilliant suggestion, I moved to scramble up and run after everyone else—only to fall flat on my face.

" _Agh_!" I cried, pulling myself up by a single elbow to look down at my arm and legs that gave sharp jolts of pain.

It felt like an intense attack of the cramps, forcing my muscles to lock up and endure the painful waves that washed over my body. The zero pointer was coming down on me and I couldn't escape it path. I wanted to so badly get up and run for cover, but I just couldn't get my legs to work with me.

"Shit...!" I cursed.

Guess my rubber body was going to have to save the day. I scrunched my eyes close, preparing for the inevitable impact of heavy tons of robot pinning my body beneath its large bulky frame.

Until a voice called out to me.

Eyes snapping open, I whipped my head back to the direction of the source to find the bespectacled boy literally _flying_ towards me after appearing from around the zero pointer's frame with the brunette clinging onto his back. Treating his protruding engines like propellers, the boy went straight towards my direction while the girl leaned herself to the side so her arm was stretched out.

She was going to grab me.

Eyes flicking up to the zero pointer coming dangerously close, I wanted to curse at them for recklessly endangering their lives when I ultimately could have gotten away with only a minor trauma of being buried alive. But seeing as there was no time for lecturing, I held out my arm and allowed myself to be snatched from the ground.

"GOTCHA!" the girl loudly cheered, not at all worried about the impending zero pointer about to come down on us.

"You're fucking nuts!" I shouted at her then turned to the boy. " _Both_ of you!"

"I must point out that you are the pot calling the kettle black!" the other boy easily quipped in return before focusing his attention ahead. "Damn it!"

We weren't going to make it, I thought as I watched the shadows grow darker the closer the robot came to crushing everyone. My legs and arms flapped uselessly in the flight leaving my only functioning arm in the hold of the girl.

"Switch my arms!" I ordered the brunette who blinked dumbly at me. "Switch my arms! I'm gonna give us a boost outta here!"

Carefully, she grabbed my flailing limb while releasing the other, and I had to hold back from releasing a pained whimper because my arm still throbbed painfully from the drawback of the One for All's power.

I pulled my arm back and then release it quickly, striking the air before the momentum swung it right back into my main body so it would give the engine boy the kick he needed when the kinetic energy caused us to lurch forward.

Like a boost to the other guy's engine quirk, we shot off faster than before. All three of us gave a simultaneous cry just as the zero pointer was about to fall on our heads, only to barely take us with it while we went off down the street.

"Too fast!" the girl shrieked, crocodile tears flowing out the corner of her eyes (and sprinkling me with her salty tears). "We're going too fast!"

The boy cut off his engines yet we still went like a racing car without breaks to halt the whole thing.

"I can't stop!"

"If I release my zero gravity then we'll get seriously hurt!" the girl shouted, face turning pale. "I DON'T WANNA DIE~!"

"Aw shit..." I mumbled under my breath.

The two fell into a fit of panic, both of them screaming for help while heading straight towards the masses. Everyone leapt out of the way, swiftly avoiding the deadly body-slam had they hesitated a moment longer. I just hung there like a decoration, wincing all the while because the girl had a death grip that could have impressed All Might himself.

And then suddenly I was the only one left flying down the street.

Confused, I looked back to find the boy and girl held out by some huge guy with tentacle arms. My arm was stretching itself out because the girl was still holding me, and it helped slow down my speed and calm my frazzled nerves—until a flashback from years ago where I accidentally broke Bakugō's nose reminded me what would happen if I went hurtling back towards the crowd (and at such a distance, too).

Still feeling the girl's hold, I gave her hand a painful squeeze and felt her immediately let go.

And just like that, I tumble to the ground in catastrophic manner. I rolled, I skidded, I rolled some more, I knocked into a few things along the way, skidded some more before finally coming to a stop where it ended with me flopping face down.

"... _ow_..."

An air siren went off.

" _TIMES UUUUP_ ~!"

The exams were officially over. The whole thing was like a roller coaster ride: exciting at first but disastrous in the end. Running around like a maniac on a killing spree, nearly dying of a heart attack, discovering the scare was just a stupid hoax, getting my arm and legs busted up from using One for All for the first time, and then being tossed away to land harshly against the unforgiving road, it was safe to say my journey towards becoming a hero wasn't starting out so great for me.

Normally, I would have shaken the whole thing off no problem, but with One for All's drawback, it left my limbs vulnerable enough to feel the pain of falling like any other person sent flying down the street with nothing to cushion them. The muscles and tendons from my arms flared up, sending intense waves of cramps to keep me from getting back up again.

Groaning, I forced myself to raise my head up.

Seeing the towering gates gaping wide open, I instantly recognized it as the city block's entrance. I for one was glad it was over, but I feel somewhat disappointed for not having the chance to run around some more to earn a few points while everyone was too busy freaking out and running from the zero pointer. Ah well, there was no use crying over spilled milk. At least nobody ended up getting hurt.

The sound of approaching vehicles caught my attention. Looking over my shoulder towards the long stretched roadway of U.A.'s massive territory, I could spot a couple of Isuzu Elf trucks driving around the other city blocks. Most likely a bunch of highly trained medic teams going in to help the participants who sustained injuries from the exams. I guess we weren't the only ones who got a nasty surprise in midst of the mock battle.

Using my one functional limb to lift my upper torso from the ground, all the while hissing from the painful cramps, I didn't notice the approaching figure until their shadow fell over my fallen form.

It was the guy with the drill on his head. Joining him was the kid with the goggles and a bald-headed guy favoring the jungle commando attire.

"Well, well, well," the drill guy's eyes squinted down at me from where he stood, a nasty smile making its way across his unpleasant features. "This is just sad."

He crouched low enough that we were almost at the same level. It wasn't eye-to-eye since he seemed to favor towering over me, giving him a sense of power and dominance from the simple action, but the gesture gave me an uncomfortable memory of vultures circling from above.

The moving tires heading our way spoke of the medic team's approach towards the entrance where it would be bombarded with activity, but I couldn't pull my glaring eyes from the motherfucker who kept up with the taunting smile. There was something about his smug look that gave me a feeling that something was amiss.

"All that power you showed off earlier, all those points you got yourself? Wasted." the drill guy snorted, cracking up like it was a big joke to him. "You totally fucked yourself up for nothing. I mean everybody and their grandma's were pissed off that you were here to begin with, but then you go out of bounds without anyone having to lift a damn finger—"

Wait a sec, what did _THAT_ mean?

"What the hell are you talking about?" I snapped at him.

My demand was met with laughter. Loud, exaggerated laughter.

"He doesn't even know!" the commando wheezed out.

"Tell him, man!"

"It means, you poor stupid son of a _bitch_ ," the drill guy jeered at me, his smile spreading almost as wide as Sakasagami's. "That you've been disqualified!"

... What?

The goggle-wearing idiot who was still giggling gleefully pointed his finger towards the mark that was spread across the gate's entrance. I stared blankly at the red line, unable to comprehend what was going on because it had to be a lie... right? Surely this wasn't true? Surely these guys were only spewing bullshit to mess with me?

But their pulses read clear, no lie was given, and they acted like a pack of cats rewarded with a bowl of cream.

"Were you even paying any attention to the rules, you fucking retard?" the commando laughed. "Anyone who crosses this line while the mock battle is still ongoing is automatically disqualified."

"And you," the drill guy cheerfully chimed in, finger digging harshly into my forehead. "You crossed this line before Present Mic had the chance to call this exams over."

A foot swung forward to sweep my arm out from under me, sending me crumpling back to the ground. I accidentally inhaled the dust that kicked up from falling down, and it forced a small coughing fit.

 ** _stomp!_**

" _Aurgh_!" I jerked in pain when my injured arm was crushed under the weight of the bald commando who stepped over me to follow the drill guy and the goggle idiot. They were heading towards where the buses were lined up to take everyone back to the school.

"Whoops."

People started to filter out of the entrance, half of them avoiding me and pretending I didn't exist while the other half took the chance to knock their extra appendages and boots against me. Biting back the pain, I forced myself on my hands and knees so I could make myself as small as possible to avoid getting stomped on. They laughed and cursed at me from underneath their breath, feeling just as pleased as the three guys who happily informed me of my failure.

"Sengoku? Sonny, are you alright?"

Recovery Girl was making her way from the truck that barely arrived on the scene, her face scrunched with worry.

I finally managed to stagger to my feet, biting my tongue from the burning lava running through every vein centered at my arm and legs. My nostrils flared nosily, forcing myself to inhale and exhale as much to prevent the sick feeling brewing in the bottom of my stomach that threatened to rise at the back of my throat; slowly, I emptied my sense of touch, rendering my body to a dull numbness to beat back the pain (while amplifying my eyes, ears, taste, and smell in the process).

"Are you—?"

" _I'm fine_." I seethed quietly.

Only cowards would ever raise their venomous tongues towards innocent bystanders who done no wrong to earn a stranger's ire; yet after everything I went through, after all I've done, I still ended up being forced to watch my efforts go down the drain like it meant absolutely nothing.

So I was pretty much all out of fucks to give about showing respect to others.

Why was I surprised? I should have known this was going to happen, but I suppose the All Might Express I had been riding along had such great scenery that I never saw the crash coming towards me. The only reason I was here was because I owed everything to All Might; rescuing me from the sludge monster, getting a healer to fix my arms, and righting the wrongs of my school while clearing my name, I couldn't think of any way to repay him—except to agree in becoming his successor.

Now I was left standing there like a piece of trash. Trampled, dirty, and thrown aside.

Sparing no words, I hobbled towards the bus.

All I wanted now was to get changed, grab my stuff, head on home, and lock myself in my room. The plan was short and straight to the point, nothing complicated to make my day even more trying than it was.

But of course when did my simple plans ever come to fruition?

Clothes were scattered across the courtyard near the school's entrance. A uniform to be exact. A dress shirt with a growing print of shoe tracks from where people stepped on it like it was a welcoming mat, a black blazer and pants hanging off the high branches of a tree, and familiar-looking sneakers used as additional decoration for one of the hero statues lined up on the school's archway paths. Judging from the snorts and giggles, and the not-so-subtle glances aimed my way, it was easy to conclude that the uniform was mine. It also didn't take me long to find my absent backpack as well.

It was drifting beneath the freezing water fountain.

So many eyes watched me like I was a spectacle to behold when I got busy in picking up my clothes. Ignoring the japes and amused guffaws from behind my back, I had to struggle to keep myself balanced due to my loss of sensation. Numbing myself from the pain was a great idea in theory, but forcing myself to walk around while my body felt like it was asleep? That was like a train wreck waiting to crash.

With no other choice but to take it slow, I endured the mockery and carefully went to collect my uniform from the tree branches. Returning a sliver of sense to my touch, I bit my bottom lip from the cramps while aiming my one good arm towards the high branches. Thankfully, the uniforms were clinging the branches close by, so one easy swipe would send the pair down where I waited below.

"What the fuck are _you_ doing here?"

My blazer fell over my head, momentarily offering me small reprieve from having to face the one person I didn't want to see so soon. Pulling the black blazer uniform from my head, I started to limp towards the water fountain.

"Hey! Don't ignore me, you fucking crybaby!"

Too quickly, I felt his hand harshly grab a hold of my languid arm. You know, the one that was still suffering from One for All's painful side effects.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I roared at the blond, jerking away from him.

Which turned out to be the worst mistake I've ever done since agreeing to be the next bearer of One for All. Me yanking myself away from the ash blond's hold was so sudden that I ended up losing my balance, and because I had been heading towards the fountain—

 ** _splash!_**

It ended with me falling over.

The water felt like trillions of itty bitty knives stabbing into my skin. The shock of the sensation brought back my normal level of touch sense, amplifying the whole thing that I accidentally inhaled the ice, cold water. Forcing myself to surge up, I broke the surface violently and threw myself out of the fountain. The freezing air bit into my wet skin and heavy clothes.

Spitting out the murky fountain water from my mouth, I started to hack like crazy to clear my respiratory system. A hard thump on the spot between my shoulder blades nearly sent me sprawling messily to the ground, and I looked to find Bakugō slapping my back to help clear my airway.

"What the fuck, Kuzan?!" Bakugō gave another harsh slap. He was standing over me with an uncharacteristic wide-eyed look on his usually angry face. "The hell is up with you?"

Over his angry tirade and my coughing fit, my ears picked up a dreadful sound: a cacophony of laughter. People were outright busting a got, arms crossed over their stomachs as they wheezed while expelling a cackle and giggle.

With a snarl, I ripped myself away from Bakugō.

" _Fuck you_!" I exploded angrily while grabbing my uniform and yanking my backpack out of the water's depths. "You all can go fuck yourselves!"

I stumbled away from him, furiously clenching my teeth down so it wouldn't start chattering noisily again. Every step was like sending another flare, an ache, a throb of pain climbing up and down my body, but I soldiered on. I could feel so many people watching me, nobody hiding their immense delight to my unfortunate tumble in the cold fountain. My body tensed when I heard the familiar snap of photos being taken.

Every fiber of my being screamed for me to find someplace to lie down so I could soothe my aches, but I bit down on my discomfort and continued onward. It was agonizing, but sticking around to be viewed as the biggest laughing stock of all time was torture.

Besides, there was a big, dark room waiting for me back home.


	13. Chapter II: The First Impression

**A/N:** To all the readers closely following this story, let me just announce this because it's important that you all know what you're getting into when reading this chapter. Remember that a lot of you reacted to Izuku dying? A lot of you guys ended up being so worried that this would change everything in the story, and in a way it did but _didn't_. Now I'm going to talk about the "unrealistic" behavior of everyone shitting on Kuzan (and by extension his family) because the last chapter appeared to be unfair and just blown out of proportion to you guys. I recommend you read the first chapter all over again because many seem to forget how this whole hate thing started, but for the sake of those still up in arms about it, let me explain. _Again_.

Imagine Aksel Gunnarsen, a powerful man who has connection to all the companies, all the resources that can help people both on field for hero assistance and on medical to make Star Trek's Dr. McCoy proud? Imagine him taking all that cool and life-saving stuff away because his daughter doesn't want to do what he wants. Imagine a powerful rich and entitled white man throwing a tantrum and becomes an angry man-child by taking his shiny toys away with him and leaving the other kids with nothing. Imagine the heroes getting a setback in their heroing by having their gear fall apart and half the time unable to get it working again because the tools needed are no longer available. Imagine there are more casualties in disasters because their equipment used to create safe passages to get the victims trapped inside the rubble is unreliable and caused more collapses thus leading to more deaths. Imagine the machines keeping your loved one comfortable (and possibly alive) are gone. Imagine you have a quirk that could destroy things if you fall asleep and therefore left in jail for being repeatedly mistaken for a criminal who attacks during night time?

Now to the present day of Japan. The grandson of the man who fucked them over, the son of the woman who chose not to follow her father's wishes, the son of the man who condemned his own country all for said woman, comes waltzing up in the hero school and feels entitled to join the crew? This is like the biggest slap to their faces.

Like I keep saying over and over, people are angry and children are mimicking their elders behavior. This is like how it was in Naruto, the adults shunned him and their children see this and do the same because they're not old enough to have opinions of their own (yet). So please don't be angry or upset that your favorite characters come off as assholes, some of them have their reasons and others are just following what the rest of the flock is doing (sheep mentality, google it). That's all I wanted to share with you guys!

 _ **Prince,**_ I'm starting to sound like a broken record when I keep explaining over and over again why people treat Kuzan like shit. I hope the above notes will help the readers comprehend the gravity of Kuzan's situation but I won't hold my breath. And holy shit, your comment broke my review box thingie! It's all stretched out there! Lol WTF?!

 _ **errydaymPurple** **,**_ DON'T YOU SASS ME, YOUNG LADY!

 _ **Kami no Kage,**_ I just love emphasizing the contrast between Kuzan, Izuku, and All Might while also pointing out the parallels they all share. Stick around some more and you might end up further pulled into the abyss that is my story, _mwuahahaha_ ~!

 _ **FearMeHorror,**_ You're review is just as awesome! :)

 _ **HOLYSH*TGuest,**_ Here's more for you. Enjoy!

AND OMGOSH, I DREW A SMALL SCENE FROM _CHAPTER 12_! Check it out on my Deviantart page: _ **Mutt99**_!

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter II: Part III**

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* * *

No matter what I did to hide it, to avoid it, to deflect it, to carry on like it didn't effect my everyday life, people still looked at me and knew what was up and I felt more exposed than ever before. The teachers in Jakku were strict as hell, but that didn't stop the stares and chattering going on all around the classrooms and hallways. It was like my life was now reduced to becoming a popular TV show they couldn't get enough of; I was the new Kim Kardashian.

"That's not surprising."

"Yeah, like what did he expect? Confetti and a parade?"

"He never had a chance."

"U.A. was never going to let him in."

Kawaki-sensei looked like she wanted to say something, but seeing my poor attempts to hide my disappointment while trying to put the whole U.A. affair behind me, she reluctantly dropped the subject and began to help me find other potential high schools who also operated on heroics that were willing to tolerate me for the next three years. Sometimes, I caught Kamitsuku looking over in my direction, his usual spew of insults absent and his cold eyes left utterly blank. Zushinezumi meanwhile took one look at me and furiously swore that if U.A. was playing dirty then he would take his talents elsewhere.

Back then, I would have snorted in amusement for his passive-aggressive attitude—but that was before I discovered where his genetic appearance stemmed from: the deadly grasshopper mouse.

Moral of the story? Don't cross a passive-aggressive Zushinezumi.

Anyway...

Home wasn't much better than school. If anything, it felt worse. Every move and every careful word felt stilted and forced, like they were trying so hard not to stray towards the subject of heroes and my failure in the exams. I loved them but God did I want to grab a baseball and swing at the decor around the house, crash and break things because I wanted them to stop acting like it was the end of the fucking world!

I couldn't be the only teenager who was seen brooding in their room for some shitty day they experienced outside their house (then again, most of teenagers didn't come back from somewhere all cold, wet, and mad as hell).

Surprisingly, Cyan Ray and Noctis were the only two people who I could turn to that didn't create a pity party in my honor. Instead, the two undergrounds dragged me to someplace I've never been before. Disguised in a baseball cap and sunglasses ("Trust me, nobody's gonna give you shit for wearing sunglasses at night."), I was sitting on a bench with a huge bowl of steaming ramen in front of me, a treat paid by the Kamen Rider-looking dork.

"Honestly," Cyan shook his head while slurping on his own bowl of noodles. "Kids these days think cool gadgets are what makes a hero."

"You're like barely twenty-one," the pinkette snorted. "Don't go sounding like you're some old veteran, idiot."

"Isn't it?" I cut the two off before could start another argument in front of me (again). "Otherwise, why else would I be getting shit for something everyone thinks I personally stole from them?"

"Majority of the time it's mostly to help enhance your quirk." Cyan proffered, ducking his head closer to his bowl to inhale more noodles.

"But what about the people who need it to control or contain their quirks?"

"I have a younger sister who has to wear ear plugs because she can't get her sensitive hearing under control. She's the biggest klutz in the family and she collects scrapes and bruises like stickers." Noctis shook her head while grabbing another stick of dangos to munch on. "My mom freaks out that one day my sister's going to get her stupid ass killed because she won't be able to hear any incoming cars driving recklessly down the street, hear the warning cries of the construction workers about falling debris from where they're renovating a building near our house, or hear some asshole criminal shouting at her to freeze and give up her money."

"Sometimes Noct's mom would force me and her to walk the girl to school." Cyan mumbled.

"Nowadays people are focusing what resources we have to keep the hero programs up and running. From hero schools to special criminal containment facilities. Public quirk usage establishments and medical centers are kind of sadly put in the back burner," the pinkette sighed. "I get that keeping crime down is important, but I wish that they'd at least let some money into our science community in charge of developing our equipment."

"I hear our economy is steadily getting worse due to the damage costs we create from our fights with the villains. It's good business for the construction companies and their workers, but it's a blow to our money. Money we need for other resources." Cyan went on.

"It's practically a tug'o'war with where our money goes, huh?" I felt something of a migraine begin to form. As much as I appreciated the free treat and the talk, it still didn't alleviate the pressure I felt hanging over my head.

"That's just a small tip of the iceberg. My sister is considered "lucky" with her situation, but everyone else has got it worse no thanks to that prick Aksel." Noctis scrunched her face then turned towards me. "What is he? Seventy? Eighty years old? He's gotta be old enough to drop dead soon, right?"

"Seventy-four." I replied. "And it's not that simple at it seems."

The two heroes traded puzzled glances with one another. Noctis wasn't the only person to have thought of that: biding the time when the head patriarch of the Gunnarsen family would die and his remaining family would take over for him. However, being the conniving and stubborn vulture he was infamously known for in the business world, the old man found a way to combat it.

"Have you ever seen the entire family?" I asked my two companions.

"Uhh, no...?" Cyan frowned. "I know you have a couple of cousins, but I don't know if you have more."

"But you've seen them, right?"

"I've seen pictures of them in a couple of magazines." Noctis replied with a tilt to her head, red glowing orbs shining in the dark despite the few lanterns hanging over us illuminating the bench we all were occupying. "Why?"

"Notice how they're all girls?"

Both Cyan and Noctis pause mid-bite of their respective meals, both of the heroes caught off guard about something they overlooked. Not that I blamed them, it was something a lot of people didn't think about. It was like one of those activity menu's restaurants would give to children to keep them busy so they wouldn't be too bored waiting for their food, and one of the activities was usually spotting the different between two similar-looking images.

"Um, w-what?"

Despite wearing his ridiculous helmet, I could still see the uncertain look on the hero's face. He'd glance over to his partner like he was expecting her to know the answer to my riddle, but she appeared to be just as devoid of understanding as Cyan.

"So far, the old man's only ever had daughters and granddaughters." I explained to the pair. "There was my uncle but he died some time after I was born."

"I think I heard about that." Noctis slowly nodded. "He was really sick, right? Ended up being terminally ill when he was a teenager?"

It was after my tenth birthday that I discovered the existence of my deceased uncle. Aunt Sissel had sent old pictures to mom on the day of her and uncle Nils' wedding during their anniversary because she's been in the nostalgic mood. Mom was standing near the married couple, a forceful smile on her face as she was sharing the same space with her escort—the man who her father wanted her to marry. There was also aunt Trine, a youthful girl who looked to transition from girlhood to womanhood, beaming brightly at the camera. Unlike all the other girls, Trine didn't have the ominous orange eyes but rather otherworldly blue orbs. This probably had to do with her mother, the old man's third wife.

And that's when I saw him.

He looked like a younger version of the old man but without the severe, cold look. My uncle instead appeared more softer, a genuine smile on his face as he held Sissel's other free arm that wasn't around her husband. He also seemed frail, like his scrawny hands were as fragile as bird bones.

He was standing at the far end of the photograph—away from the old man who was standing behind the oblivious aunt Trine. And like aunt Trine, his eyes were different from the rest of his sisters; not as otherworldly as Trine's but more... deeper. It was odd, but somehow when I stared at his face, it was like he was looking beyond the photograph and staring back at me.

"Grímr held you once," dad told me when I asked about the man in the picture. "He wanted to meet you before he died."

"What was he like?"

Dad shrugged. "I didn't know him all that much, but he seemed nice."

Something flickered across dad's face, his eyes becoming glazed over while receding back towards the dark recess of his mind, and before I could ask him what he was thinking so hard about, it was gone. Talking about my long dead uncle must've been a sore subject for my parents, especially for my mother considering she never mentioned her older half-brother, and it was precisely why I didn't confront her about the man with the oddly knowing eyes.

"Uncle Grímr was suppose to be the one to step in and take over his father's empire."

"But then he passed away." Cyan stated. "Still, what does that have to do with your other family members not taking over?"

Noctis and I gave Cyan a look that spoke how unimpressed we were of him. Undergrounds had another reputation besides avoiding the flashing cameras and media attention, they were their own community of Dark Knights. And one of the few requirements of joining the army of caped crusaders was being decently smart enough to figure out the clues thrown at you.

"Cyan, how the hell did you get your hero license?" I wondered out loud.

"Through sheer dumb luck." the pinkette griped from her spot.

"Hey!"

"Get it through your thick helmet, Cyan!" Noctis exclaimed while slamming a fist on top the table which rattled the bowls and plates. "That asshole Aksel wants a _male_ heir to take over his empire! He couldn't give two shits that his daughters and granddaughters are capable and intelligent women, he's a sexist pig that wants his way!"

"It's why he's been married and divorced three times." I scrunched my nose in disgust. "And it's why he's been pushing his daughters to get married and give him grandchildren."

"But you're—"

"I wouldn't still be in this predicament if that were the case, Cyan." I scowled at him. "My mother got disowned because she didn't want to marry that fucking slime ball who was pawing at her like she was a piece of meat! That Lindholm cunt doesn't hide the fact that he has mistresses! The only reason why he even agreed to marry my mother, besides getting the chance to fuck her like she's another one of his sex toys, is because he'll get more filthy rich by taking the Gunnarsen name! And as long as that happens, that old fuck doesn't care what he does!"

God, I felt my blood boil thinking about that sleazy bastard who took immense pleasure in talking shit about my mother at every opportunity whenever he was invited to do a talk show or magazine interview.

Sven Lindholm was a predator; he acted as if he was God's gift to mankind, swaggering around the gala's and getting uncomfortably close to the young women accompanying their parents, his hands drifting alarmingly close to inappropriate places before laughing it off as a joke when several brave women confronted him about it.

The Lindholm's were famous for engineering aerial combat suits to the hero community, but there was a long standing agency they've been providing for since after the Quirk Phenomenon event. The family company had a rich history to the agency and they grew even more famous because of it, yet it boggled my mind how it was in the hands of someone like Sven.

The jerk-off was content to waste away his money on booze and women, letting his company thrive on the Gunnarsen resources to continue leading his hedonistic lifestyle without a care in the world.

"In that old fuck's eyes, I was an insult to his name and status. He chased my mother out of her own country while making his youngest daughter marry that asshole who didn't get his hands on mom! And the old man is determined to get what he wants because he's going to throw my cousins, the girls that are like my older sisters before they were forcefully taken from me, to the wolves so he can get his _male_ heir!"

The aroma of the ramen bowls that filtered around our bench became smothered by the anger brewing over the two heroes. Cyan looked like he wanted to blast something with his laser beams, fingertips scorched from the intensity of the explosive blue heat. Noctis meanwhile looked like the very creature of darkness, red eyes shimmering brightly with murderous intent, an inhumane growl quietly rumbling from the back of her throat.

"He can't do that." Cyan glowered from his spot. "He can't force his own family...! They're not _breeding cows_!"

"There's another reason why he drove me and my parents out of the country." I spoke after awhile. "There's another reason why no one in our family ever visits us here."

"He made an example of your mother." Noctis curled her lips in a furious scowl. "He wanted to scare everyone else into submission. He'd threaten to take everything from them if they tried to leave. He'd have them blacklisted, ruined, and publicly humiliated while framing them for whatever bullshit disaster he'll likely force upon them like he did with your parents in the fall-out."

My once close connection with my cousins grew scarce over the years, both because of the change I underwent from living here and because they were caught up in their own lives once they realized how grave their situation was. Their parents did their best to shield the girls, but they knew they knew the protection wouldn't last long. Their days were becoming numbered and it wouldn't be long when their own grandfather would marry them off as if they were trophies to be passed.

Last I heard about Jorunn (the eldest of the Gunnarsen children), she recently finished university with a master's degree in business. I could only imagine the turmoil she was feeling, a young lady in her early twenties and therefore at the appropriate stage for marriage. I felt sick at the thought that I'd have to one day hear through the media that my oldest cousin was getting hitched to someone who was no better than Lindholm.

Cyan pushed himself off the table, abandoning his half-eaten bowl of ramen, and started to furiously pace around the small open area near the ramen stand. It looked like he was fighting to contain himself, like it was a herculean task to not burst in anger by shooting laser beams out of his fingertips.

Tonight was supposed to be about getting a lot of my frustrations out, not passing it along to everyone else like it was an STD. Worried that he might cause a scene, Noctis made her way towards her partner to help calm him down. She was just as horrified and angry on my behalf, but they really needed to calm themselves because if Cyan really went crazy in public then he'd get in trouble and put his job in jeopardy. I didn't want to be responsible for that.

 _ **bzzzt! bzzzt!**_

I checked the phone that was tucked inside the pocket of my hoodie sweater.

It was probably another text message from All Might.

Ever since the disaster that was U.A.'s practical exams, my phone exploded with countless text messages and voicemails from the number one hero. Too emotionally stressed and exhausted of the events, I spent the next few days ignoring my phone while licking the blood off my wounded pride.

The whole thing was childish and petty of me, treating the poor guy like a brat giving an adult the silent treatment because they were angry, but he wasn't the one who ended up getting disqualified, got used as a human doormat for the others to step on, had his belongings thrown around like trash, and found himself taking a dip in the freezing waters of the school's fountain.

After all the bullshit I had to deal with, I think I was within rights to give the hero the cold shoulder. But I knew I'd eventually have to contact him, probably to see if I could maybe take a chance on another hero school.

Swiping the lockscreen from my phone, I was surprised to see it wasn't All Might but dad texting me.

 **Dad: There's a letter from U.A. addressed to you.**

Huh.

...

The walk back home was spent in silence after I split from Cyan and Noctis.

Another reason they had taken me out to eat was because they would be leaving the city for another case that had other undergrounds on alert. It had something to do with a vigilante turning serial killer but the duo refused to say any more on the subject. I didn't know whether it was because I was a civilian who wasn't suppose to be privy to their information or because they were trying to keep the situation lowkey as possible.

Deciding to respect their wishes, I backpedaled away from the topic despite how curious I was about it and wished them good luck on their case.

The second I stepped through the doorway of my home, I was greeted with a tense silence.

Mom looked like she just arrived home before I did because she hadn't changed out of her hospital scrubs yet. Both mom and dad were easily spotted in the kitchen, waiting for with the U.A. letter sitting on the granite tabletop between them. They treated the envelope like it was a poisonous snake ready to bite their faces off, but considering how there were times my parents got threatening messages through the hospital and police department, they were allowed to be wary.

Odin's beard, the whole thing reminded me of a dramatic scene in a movie or television show. All it needed now was some suspenseful music to fill the vacant background.

But I wasn't going to pull some bullshit walk of drama where I reached a trembling hand towards the sealed envelope. And who the hell seals their envelopes with wax? This wasn't the fucking 1800's!

"Can't believe everyone's getting all willy-nilly over a freaking letter." I griped, striding towards them to snatch the envelope off the table.

"Darling, their words don't matter," mom gently consoled. "If they can't find it in themselves to look past the reputation the public forcefully branded you with then these so-called teachers have no business teaching the fundamentals of heroes."

"But that's pretty much what it comes down to, doesn't it? Whether or not I was good enough. But why bother asking such a stupid question?" I snorted humorlessly, shaking off my mother's hands from my shoulders. "They wanna say I wasn't good enough because of a mistake I made? Fine then, let's hear them spell it out for me!"

I grabbed the two end points of the envelope and rip the paper in half.

And got a face full of All Might.

 **"I AM HERE AS A PROJECTION!"**

Like spooked cats, my parents and I nearly jumped out of our skins and nearly tumbled backwards from the sudden loud volume penetrating our once quiet kitchen. It took us a few seconds to recognize that it was only a holographic projection display coming from the item that had been inside the envelope, along with a letter which I spotted hanging out from one of the torn sides.

"Is that All Might?!" my dad exclaimed.

"What's he doing in a U.A. letter?"

Oh, right. Up until now, nobody knew about All Might becoming a teacher in U.A. (a way to look after his successor while easing himself into retirement). Since I already knew about the whole thing, the public announcement didn't seem as big of a deal to me as it was for my parents.

 **"I know it's been awhile but with great power comes a great amount of paperwork!"**

Funny thing about hearing people use vague quotes from Spider-Man, or any other works belonging to Marvel and DC (with its entire popular franchise), is that none of it existed within this universe for some reason that continued to vex me. Sure, Disney was still kicking and RDJ was very popular with his Sherlock Holmes movies (may he rest in peace), but no hint of an Iron Man or Batman to be found when scouring through the vast internet. Surely nothing that popular back then can stay buried, right?

Yet nothing came up. No movies, no cartoons, no Netflix series, nothing.

And it wasn't just the comic book heroes, there was also no sight of the Shōnen Jump series me and my friends would read from time to time. Naruto, Dragon Ball, Bleach, Fairy Tail, _ONE PIECE_? Gone as the wind.

Hell, I couldn't even find the popular Star Wars franchise anywhere within the internet! This made me recall the time when my dorm mate went on for an hour about how he spotted some referenced here and there in the manga author's work, pointing out how one character reminded him of Yoda and another who he suspected was the Kylo Ren of the story. To my bitter misfortune, I had sadly tuned him out most of the time because I was too busy going bonkers over Luffy's fight with Katakuri (the most epic fight to witness, right next to the clash with Kaido).

Anyway, the main point was that a lot of fandoms were gone but their pop culture references still remained to this day despite never existing in this universe. While that was a downer to discover, there was also benefiting from this; I suppose you could say that I should be lucky no one can pick up an old One Piece book because if that had been the case, my life as a rubber boy would've turned out differently if my enemies knew where to hit me where it hurts.

 **"My apologies, young man!"** All Might, dressed in his hideous banana suit, gave the camera a bow. **"The truth is—I didn't come to Musutafu to fight villains. You're looking at the newest U.A. faculty member!"**

"All Might's going to be a _teacher_...?!" dad squawked from the background. Thankfully, mom was there to hush him back into silence.

A hand suddenly appeared from the corner of the projection, waving around until it caught All Might's eye. Even if I tried to strain my ears to hear what the other person was saying, I knew it would only be nothing but static because electrical projections didn't translate well to living sound vibrations, so I didn't bother. Though, it seemed that whatever they were informing him, it left the hero a bit flustered.

 **"I'll wrap it up, but I have to tell him something firs** **—"** All Might cuts himself off, and we the audience were left staring at the hand that continued to make silent gestures only the big blond could understand. **"Wait! I have to do _HOW_ many of these things?"**

"Oh, the poor thing," mom whispered in concern. "They're probably making him do every recording for all the students who participated in the exams."

Dad and I winced in sympathy for All Might.

 **"Fine! Let me cut to the chase!"**

Inhale. Exhale.

It was time to face the music.

 **"Even though you passed the written test and received high scores in the mock villain battle, you were disqualified for exiting the perimeters before the proctor could announce the exams over."**

Yeah, just what I thought.

To be honest, I was glad All Might was the one to break the news to me. I'd rather prefer his ridiculous banana clad suit than some stranger cheerfully explaining to me why I was such a huge clusterfuck at the exams before wishing me never to try my luck in heroics in general ever again.

"Oh, darling." I felt mom's warm hands rest over my arms.

Dad's large palm came over the nape of my neck, thumb pressing against the small curve of my skin as his way of offering comfort without needing to say the words. Spending a whole week simmering in anger for having my efforts be thrown back into my face, it was exhausting but I knew I had to get myself back on the horse and try again elsewhere.

U.A. wasn't the only school to produce heroes. Still, I could only imagine how difficult it was going to be for All Might trying to help me with my new additional quirk while he was teaching the students of the school he was going to be working at.

 **"However,"** I sighed, wondering what else he had to say. **"Due to the amount of people we witnessed exhibiting unsportsmanlike behavior, they too were disqualified."**

"Unsportsmanlike?"

"Kuzan, what's he talking about?"

Right, I never told mom and dad what happened beyond the terrible news of getting disqualified for going out of bounds. They had no idea I got stomped on by a herd of cunts.

 **"Additionally,"** All Might continued. **"We also went ahead and disqualified another batch of students who purposely stole your personal belongings and vandalized the school's property with them!"**

"Kuzan!"

I glared up at the ceiling, wishing for the projection to short circuit or end it there because now I was getting a full frontal assault from the Mama Bear. She was rapidly shooting question after question, not giving me room to think up an answer or breathe.

Mom even went so far as to warn me not to leave a single detail out this time because she'll know that I was skirting around the topic and she was going to make me regret it. Meanwhile, dad said nothing; not that he needed to because mom was doing all the work and she obviously didn't need any additional help from her husband.

" _Uff da_! You think you're doing us a favor, but you're only hurting us with all these secrets!" mom snapped at me. "Do you think we're pitiful or helpless that we'll get crushed the moment you mention you're having problems? Do you think we're too weak to protect you? Our own son? Is that what this is about?!"

"This shouldn't be a big surprise to you by now, mom!" I argued back. "Did you believe U.A. would be any different from anywhere else?"

 **"Furthermore...!"**

 **"** Oh, for the love—" I wanted All Might to shut up already.

 **"The number of people disqualified resulted in a cut down on the competition! This leaves open room for other potential students without our faculty having to struggle who to keep or let go."** All Might whipped his arm up and pointed dramatically at the camera. **"It must've been awful, but because of you Sengoku-kun, we were able to weed out those who don't uphold the true values of being a hero."**

The entire thing sucked ass, but at least now I won't be the only one who got an automatic boot out of U.A.'s doors. For whatever reason, goal, or hope they had in joining the school was going to hurt them ten times worse once news of their disqualification reached their homes. I could only imagine how shriveled up in the insides they were going to feel when All Might spelled out the reason why they weren't even joining the Gen Ed courses (if that was their back up plan), let alone having any business near heroic courses.

My self-confidence that day plummeted, and as much as I wanted to deny it, me failing the mock battle hurt me in worse ways than One for All's painful drawback. Childish as it was to admit, I was glad I wasn't the only one suffering from their failure.

 **"Speaking of true values, something curious happened after the exams!"** All Might exclaimed. **"What could it be you wonder? Stay tuned to find out!"**

"He's been spending way too much time in the entertainment business," dad started to remark from the sidelines again. "He's even starting to sound more like those soulless talk show hosts."

"Hush."

The camera followed All Might whilst the big blond pulled up what looked to be a remote control from his pocket. Ignoring the bright and colorful room from wherever All Might did his recording, the camera focused on a flat screen TV hanging off the ugly wallpaper. Like most of the computers, television screens, and holographic projections at the U.A. campus, it had the popular U.A. logo displayed on the screen. That school really liked to throw it's logo around in people's faces.

 **"Observe!"**

With a simple press of a button, the logo screen was replaced with a recording. It looked like it was a school hallway, or better yet the hallway inside U.A. with it's somewhat confusing directions.

And then two people entered the screen.

Two familiar-looking people.

 _ **"Excuse our intrusion!"**_

 _ **"Sorry, we wanted to come and talk to the people in charge! It's really, really important!"**_

 **"Recognize them?"** All Might gestured towards the screen recording karate boy and the brunette girl from the exams. **"They came to the administration office to talk. What did they want to talk about that was so important for them to come straight away into the main offices? Let's find out!"**

"Do you think that when he retires, he'll consider becoming another talk show host or actor? He's very dramatic."

"I dunno, dad..."

" _Enough_! Both of you!"

 ** _"That boy, um, he has the Gunnarsen eyes—?" "Sengoku Kuzan, you mean." "Yes! Him! You shouldn't disqualify him!"_**

I stared at the girl who confronted a teacher, somebody so huge that the camera couldn't fit his entire frame into the screen, so he remained pretty much obscured from the audience.

She didn't look as banged up when I last saw; now that I got a good look at her, she appeared to be walking with the other boy (fancy-looking uniform, most likely a private school) without assistance which meant Recovery Girl used her quirk to save the girl months of recovery and hospital visits.

 _ **"While I am more than willing to abide to the school's rules, I must insist that you do not disqualify Sengoku-san so easily! Were it not for his presence, more than half of the examinees could have been seriously injured by the zero pointer!"**_ the bespectacled boy was doing his karate chop thing again. _**"Please reconsider Sengoku-san! He was the only person to have figured out the truth of the exams before everyone else! He would be a great asset to this school**_ ** _—"_**

 ** _"Oi, oi,"_** the unseen adult tried to calm the vivacious karate boy who looked like he was going to burst the longer he spoke. _**"Take a breather, kid."**_

 _ **"Please!"**_ the brunette girl insisted, boldly taking a step forward. _**"Even after everyone said awful things to him and tried to take the points for themselves so he would be left with none, he still saved them from getting hurt! He saved**_ **me _!"_**

The video paused and I barely realized that I wasn't breathing.

So engrossed I was that I also didn't notice mom wrapped an arm around my waist, her head leaning against my bicep. The skin on my arm felt moist, and there was salt in the air but I couldn't find a trace of sadness like I usually did. I was so used to making my mother cry from sadness that I wasn't able to immediately identify what other emotions she expressed through her tears.

All Might stepped into the scene, his gaze trained on the video screen.

 **"You seem to be the type who's resigned themselves to the role society has given you, that your name and blood leads to a fate already written in stone,"** All Might's blue glare went beyond the camera and pierced through me. **"Does this sound like your actions went in vain, young Sengoku?"**

This wasn't All Might talking drama; this wasn't All Might relaying a message to a U.A. hopeful from some script he was reading off screen.

He knew.

He knew from my silence, from my anger, from my struggle, from my thoughts—all of it coming down to one thing I've been asking myself since I agreed to become his successor: would any of my deeds matter?

I couldn't stop staring at the boy and girl on the television screen.

 **"Who are we, the heroes that not only fight evil but are sworn to protect the lives depending on us, to turn away someone who risked everything for the sake of others? We'd be the real villains in disqualifying you over something so minor!"**

Dad's hand came to rest over my shoulders, thumbs pressed against the meat of my muscles while his mouth and nose pressed themselves into the crown of my dark hair. His coffee and aftershave cologne swamped over me, gently mixing together with mom's own fragrance while they held me close in their arms.

The holographic projection switched to a scoreboard.

 **"Sengoku Kuzan: 67 Villain Points and 70 Rescue Points! Iida Tenya: 45 Villain Points and 20 Rescue Points! Uraraka Ochako: 22 Villain Points and 52 Rescue Points!"**

I went inside the fake urban city, intent on destroying every fake robot I could get my hands on, stacking up a high score to ensure my placement in the Department of Heroes. But then the colossal zero pointer appeared and I ended up getting distracted, wasting precious time saving the girl and making sure nobody else got crushed by the falling rubble the giant robot was throwing over everyone's heads.

In doing so, I had unknowingly received a higher score in rescue than I did in destroying villains.

 **"Welcome to U.A. High School, young Sengoku Kuzan."** All Might grinned at the camera. **"Let's hope you have what it takes in your hero academia!"**

"Oh, Kuzan..."

Group hugs. They were nice.

Very nice.

A short instruction video was playing on the screen to inform everyone how to proceed the next steps in applying to U.A. so I wouldn't show up unprepared. I was going to get another mail where my ID would play an important part, for if I showed up without it, the entrance gate of the school would prevent me from going in. The school was secured for good reason, and once word on the street got out that All Might would be in the school, it was going to be packed with rapid reporters and their cameramen.

I had to send in my size for the uniform I was going to be wearing. Thankfully, all I had to do was send in my serial number which prevented a lot of people from trying to pull shit with my uniform like it did the first few times when I was getting my middle school uniform.

The projection returned to All Might—who was grinning at the camera in a somewhat menacing manner.

All the light-hearted feelings I felt from hearing the news quickly died the moment I caught sight of All Might's bared teeth. My stomach dropped and the hair along my arms rose, goosebumps scattered across my body. The hand waving around in the corner of the projection screen trying to gain the muscular hero's attention went ignored; All Might bypassed the obscured individual in favor of giving the camera—giving _me_ —a most ferocious look which sent shivers crawling down my spine.

 **"I'm sure this is wonderful news to share with all the people you know, Sengoku-kun!"** All Might brought himself closer to the camera, his face becoming more shadowy than it already was. It honestly made me feel like I wanted to pee my pants because this All Might looked more villainous than heroic. **"A simple text message would be good. A phone call? Even better! Heck, I'm positive that they'll be ecstatic if you told them in person!** ** _Am I right_ , _Sengoku-kun_?!"**

All Might's message became crystal clear: _ANSWER YOUR FUCKING PHONE_!

Thankfully the recording message was finished, closing the screen on the unhinged-looking All Might who was glaring at the camera lenses like he was trying to pierce through my shivering soul. There was an awkward moment of silence, all three of us standing in the kitchen that was no longer dimmed by the projection's screen lights. Deciding I could no longer tolerate the silence, I spoke first.

"That was intense." I said.

"Yeah, no kidding," dad retorted softly from behind me. "He's sound like a guy who gave his number to a pretty girl and is waiting for their phone call or something."

 _'Oh my God, he does!'_

"Never mind that!" mom glomped me again. "You got into U.A.! All Might said you got in!"

"Y-yeah." I blinked as my face was furiously attacked by mom's kisses. " _Mom_!"

"I'm going to bake you some cake!"

"Grete, it's la—" dad tried to read out the time but I silenced him by slapping a hand over his mouth.

Fuck what time it was, I wanted my cake!

Spying the blueberries and strawberries mom brought out of the fridge, I knew instantly she was going to be making my favorite: bløtkake. The next thirty minutes were spent helping mom with mixing, stirring, measuring, and cutting up the fruits in pieces. Once the cake was shoved in the oven, I headed to my room so I could follow through with All Might's last message for me.

Grabbing the phone from my nightstand, I swiped the lockscreen and carefully typed a message.

 **hey**

It only took a few seconds before I got a reply.

 **AM: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!** **o(;△;)o**

 **had a bad week. sorry.**

 **AM: I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Sengoku-kun.**

 **Ur a teacher, u had a job to do**

 **AM: Are you okay?**

I hesitated for a moment.

 **i'm good**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

A couple of days later, after being bombarded with congratulations from my cousin, several of the hospital staff, the underground wonder twins, and some of my teachers at school alongside Zushinezumi, I was called out by All Might.

It was only six in the afternoon but winter made day time shorter thus leaving the world in darkness. Wearing only a sweater, jeans, and sneakers, I made my way to Dagobah Beach. I spotted a billboard that looked new with bold letters that said the beach had become a hot spot for couples. I snorted and rolled my eyes at the billboard and hurried along towards the beach.

Standing near the climbing waves was a familiar-looking blond.

"Why aren't you wearing a jacket?" was the first thing that came out of my mouth.

"Hm?" All Might inspected his short-sleeved, collared shirt and baggy pants. "It's not so bad..."

"You crazy ass old man. I've been raised to handle the cold since I was in diapers, but my mom taught me better than to walk around wearing only a T-shirt in freaking cold weather! Are you trying to catch a cold or something? Put this on!"

I removed my sweater and tossed it at the older man. All Might caught it and hesitated, but a death glare cajoled him into slipping the sweater over his head. It was kind of a snug fit on him, and the sleeves while long didn't cover his entire forearms, but it did its job to keep him warm. Good thing I came to the beach wearing a long-sleeved shirt under my hoodie sweater.

"So? What's up?" I asked. "Why'd you call me out here for?"

"To congratulate you on making it to U.A., of course!"

The older man drew up his hand for a high five. Rolling my eyes, I humored him.

"I thought I was gonna have to look for another hero school." I confessed to the blond.

"It came pretty close. Majority of the teachers were opposed to letting you in, citing that rules were rules, but then those kids came along and vouched for you." All Might smiled. "You ought to thank them for that. They're the main reason why we were able to disregard your disqualification. Like me, the children saw the unfairness of it all, and witnessed how the others treated you, so they were pretty adamant you'd be given a second chance."

I gently kicked the sand. "The whole thing makes me feel like I'm dreaming, as if I'm imagining it from the top of my head."

A large hand ruffled my dark hair.

"You earned your spot in U.A., young man. Don't let a bunch of jerks tell you otherwise." All Might pulled away. "Anyway, there's another reason why I called you out here."

"Oh." I blinked. "What's the reason?"

"Recovery Girl told me you got up and walked off without giving her a chance to check on you." All Might gave me an expectant look.

Recalling the painful muscle cramps on my legs and arm from using One for All and how I was practically rendered paralyzed, unable to get out of the falling zero pointer's range, a wave of anger poisoned the mood. You would think the lanky idiot in front of me could have warned me about One for All's backlash of power, but all I got was a fucking smile and a direction to where I was supposed to be heading towards.

"What the fu— _you knew_?!" I barked at him. "You knew I was gonna end up eating the dirt after using its power?! What the hell, you asshole!"

His shadowed eyes went comically wide with alarm, clearly not expecting my fury on the matter. "H-hey! No need to get excited, young man!"

"Fuck that!" I shrieked angrily. "You couldn't be bothered to tell me a little more about how intense the backlash would be?"

"Sengoku-kun, you walked away!" the blond exclaimed.

"Yeah, no shit!"

"Sengoku-kun!" All Might loudly cut me off, his eyes imploring. " _You walked away_!"

While still angry by the lack of transparency he had pulled, I stopped myself from spouting any more abuse because there was something All Might was trying to tell me here. Sensing my attentiveness, All Might continued.

"After using One for All for the first time, you were able to stand up on your own two feet," All Might's glittered brightly when he stared at me. "No twisted limbs or broken bones sticking out. You... you just got up and _walked away_!"

I was looking at All Might with a bug-eyed expression.

"You telling me this was suppose to break my fucking arms and legs?!" I gawked at him in absolute horror.

Something worse than intense muscle cramps? Apparently so.

 _'Jesus Christ.'_

The older man silently reached out for my arms which I wordlessly complied, allowing him to grab and gently squeeze the muscles, watching me intently for any signs of pain. When nothing happened, he released my arms and gave me another cursory scan.

"Your quirk." All Might said after a moment of silence. "It has to be your rubber quirk. That's the only explanation I can come up with."

"Well yeah. You can punch me, hit me with a blunt object, and I'll absorb the impact and bounce it right off." I said while pulling at my cheek. "I've never experienced a broken bone in my life."

"But it still left you in pain, right?"

I nodded. "It felt like mini explosions going off in my arm and legs. My nerves felt like they caught on fire, and my muscles got locked up that I couldn't move as much."

"I'll be honest, this is better than what I expected from you, young Sengoku." All Might rubbed the back of neck. "Experiencing muscle cramps definitely beats having to constantly break your bones."

Yes, I readily agreed, it most certainly did.

"It also saves us both from getting lectured by the old lady." All Might added.

"The great All Might is scared of a little old lady?" I teased the older man.

"She's the one who holds your life in her hands. Take care of what you say around her, that's all I'm going to tell you."

Okay, I swallowed, that piece of information regarding the petite elderly didn't sound ominous. _At all_.

"Don't worry," All Might broke the silence. "You're only getting started and you can't expect to master your new quirk in one day. Grow with it, nurture it, learn how to wield its power like you learned how to use your own quirk."

"Okay." I muttered, giving my arms a distrustful look.

"Come on." All Might nodded towards the street above the beach. "Let's walk you back home."

"Yeah." I agreed.

It was still early but the temperature was starting to drop even more, and I wasn't keen on the idea of sticking around without a jacket to keep me warm, so better to head on home to prevent myself from catching any illnesses.

I followed after All Might, leaving the beach behind. We filled the air with small talk about school, the teachers, trivial things like that. It was nice to be able to forget about what was ahead of me and enjoy the little things like now.

Because something deep down told me it wouldn't last.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

It was like wearing a new skin.

Clothes were clothes, but when I stared at the uniform reflecting back at me in the bathroom, I stared at it like it was a creature sneaking inside the mirror and making me believe it was an image pasted against the reflective surface.

But it really was me wearing the uniform of my school.

Was this the thing girls talked about when they felt empowered because of a dress they were wearing? Did a nice hairdo and a couple of touches to the face really make that much of a difference in their confidence?

"Kuzan! Time to go, darling! You'll be late for school if you don't hurry!"

Stuffing myself a pair of toasted sandwiches with scrambled eggs for breakfast, I headed off to school. It took a couple of train rides, enduring the overly crowded boxes where I made sure to keep my face hidden to deter anyone trying anything funny, I was finally able to make the rest of the trip on foot.

The sight of the cube-shaped building made my insides squirm a little. I could easily recall the shock of the cold water swallowing me whole, the mocking laughter haunting me like phantoms to the living, and the humiliation of it all...

Was it too late to turn back?

 _All Might's blue glare went beyond the camera and pierced through me. **"Does this sound like your actions went in vain, young Sengoku?"**_

No, I shook the darkness away, I'm already here.

No more hiding behind adults and shutting myself away in my bedroom, I had a classroom to get to before the warning bell. My parents supported me through my ups and downs, my teachers helped me in knowing what to study and what books to read in order to better understand what I was up against, and All Might entrusted One for All so I could help society when All Might's era of peace would end.

Inhale. Exhale.

One step at a time.

Like last time, I got plenty of stares from the students heading inside the building. Ignoring the gawking morons, I quietly observed everyone to figure out who was new and familiar with this school which was easy to do when I can smell who blended with the school and who didn't.

Couple of minutes later, I caught a chattering group of first-years who sounded like they belonged to 1-B, and from the confident stride of their direction, they seemed to know where they were going. Making sure to keep myself in a respectable distance, I followed them and saved myself having to go through the trouble of asking around for directions. All that would have resulted was more mockery and ugly confrontations I didn't feel like dealing with on the first day of school.

And after following the group of students, I was able to easily make my way towards my own class. It was almost time for class to start, so I picked up the pace until my eyes spotted a sign that read class 1-A. I stopped myself short from reaching for the door.

It was, like everywhere else in this establishment, ridiculously huge.

"What the fuck even...?" I mumbled to myself.

Beyond the large door, I could easily make out bits of excited small talk going on inside. And there was an argument brewing as well which meant I could probably slip inside without garnering too much attention on myself, but I wasn't going to hold my breath.

I slide the door open as quietly as I could.

"—m telling you that you're treatment of our classroom is an insult to our upperclassmen and our school as a whole!"

Ah, the karate boy.

"Who gives a shit, you four-eyed extra!"

And Bakugō.

 _'Perfect.'_ I sighed quietly under my breath. _'Because like every other typical_ _shōnen story, there has to be a goddamn rival.'_

The argument between the two kids grew increasingly heated the longer they discussed the ethics of respecting school property, but it wasn't long when my quiet attempt in entrance caught a lot of people's attentions. Like I expected, I was met with varying degrees of attitudes: some were stunned, some wore stony expressions, and others were just unreadable. I supposed that was a lot better than the dirty looks I first got when I first started attending Jakku.

"What's the Gunnarsen Bastard doing here?!" a grape-headed moron wondered out loud.

It certainty must've been the number one question of century, but I wasn't here to satisfy anybody's curiosity. What I did with my business was my own concern, and I wasn't going to tolerate anyone butting in.

Giving the midget a menacing look, he quickly caught the threatening message I was conveying and clapped his big mouth shut. The little jackass sank down until he almost disappeared, leaving only his sphere-shaped hair sticking out. My glare expanded to the rest of the class, daring them to say something like the dwarfed idiot hiding pathetically behind his desk. When I was met with more silence, I relented and stepped inside the classroom.

Three years of dealing with these assclowns sounded like a pretty long time, but if I could survive the rowdy halls of junior high, I could definitely take another three in high school.

I didn't get far in reaching one of the few unoccupied desks situated near the middle of the class because suddenly the karate boy was surging forward until he was standing right in my personal space bubble, completely forgetting his shouting match with the ash blond teen.\

"You're made it, Sengoku-san!" the karate boy exuberantly exclaimed. "I didn't think our protest on your unfair disqualification would change the school's mind, but clearly I was wrong! I should apologize to the administration for my serious doubts!"

"Ah... yeah. Thanks for that." I mumbled, starting to feel kind of embarrassed by the karate boy's enthusiastic demeanor.

"I had to! You were the one who helped me realize what the entire point of the exams was: helping those who couldn't help themselves! They were scoring us not only for fighting off the villains but for our altruistic deeds!" the karate boy then gave a sharp bow. "I am grateful for the humbling lesson, Sengoku-san!"

My hands shot out to grab the other boy by the shoulders and yank him back upright. "Okay, okay! Cut that out!"

This was becoming more cringey than embarrassing. I had to force myself not to physically tuck my head away between my shoulders like some shy turtle, internally wincing at all the eyes drawn to us like we were a pair of entertainers on a live show. I half expected the whole class to crack their lips then burst out into laughter, cackling and chortling the entire period over the two idiots who were being weird in class. I had suspicions that there was a couple of people besides Bakugō who were present when I fell into the icy cold fountain, laughing along with the masses who witnessed my humiliation.

"Hey!" a new voice entered from the doorway. "You're here!"

It was the doe-eyed girl from the exams.

Her green tea scent became stronger and sweeter which meant something positive, her bright face helping piece together that she felt happy. She then made her way closer to where the karate boy and I stood, not even caring that her approach was getting _EVERYONE_ to stare at us. My fingers twitched at the temptation to pick up a nearby desk and fling it at everyone since I was getting real tired of their goddamn nosy—

"I was worried but it looks like it was all for nothing! I'm so happy they let you in!" the girl chirped, yanking me out of my violent thoughts.

"Thank you." I mumbled, but it was loud enough to reach the girl's ears since her grin widened a margin.

"Hey, I saw your score from the recording message we all got!" the brunette lit up excitedly like somebody added more gasoline fuel on her. "You like totally broke the record!"

"Ah! I saw it with my own eyes as well!" the karate boy chimed in. "Your Villain and Rescue points almost came out evenly."

"One-hundred-and-thirty-seven points, right?" the girl laughed. "That's so crazy!"

"Wait!" someone from somewhere squawked in the background. "That was him?"

"So it is true!"

"I heard somebody broke the scoreboard record, but I had no idea it was _his_ doing."

What did it say about me when I wished for a fight to break out in the middle of class because I preferred that over this sort of attention? I spent many years living a dysfunctional life under negative scrutiny, I forgot what it was like to live on normally without getting insulted, shoved around, kicked, threatened, blamed, and chased off. Another lifetime ago, I probably would've smiled politely and played my accomplishments off as a humble man only doing the right thing, but now when as I heard praises from complete strangers, it had the opposite effect.

I felt caged, suspicious, exposed, and vulnerable. It made me want to bury my head in the sand, for the earth to swallow me up so I could disappear like I hadn't existed.

 _'Fuck, fuck, fuck...!'_

Deciding to yank myself out of this little weird circle of loud mouths, I spotted an open desk somewhere between a bird guy and a short-haired girl with long ears. Just as I started to take a step towards it—I stopped short when something new tickled my nose.

Turning to the first person, who happened to be the karate boy, I said, "I smell cats and coffee beans."

Not understanding at first, the bespectacled boy watched when my attention went from him to the door, and he followed it to find the still open sliding door. Sure enough, a strange figure began to make their presence known. Seeing the attention drawn towards the doorway, everyone curiously followed our line of sight. The people in the back had to lean forward in order to catch a glimpse of the new guy.

Appearing before us, a haggard-looking man with a heavy five o'clock shadow crawled along the squeaky clean floor in their yellow sleeping bag. If my presence was a surprise to most of the kids in class, this guy's odd entrance was an eye-opener.

It was a little difficult at first, but I was able to remember some things about the stranger: he was the teacher of Class 1-A.

I was unable to remember his name or quirk, but I knew it wasn't anything obvious or flashy like most other heroes (looking at his bedraggled appearance, he definitely screamed underground type). While everyone was so busy gawking at the teacher in stunned silence, something uncontrollable climbed its way up, slithered past my tongue, and squeezed out of my lips before I had the chance to stop it.

"Security breach." I blurted.

My outburst kicked the world back into motion. The karate boy pounced on the guy, hands waving around like a robot gone out of control.

"Excuse me, sir! This is U.A. High School grounds, are you perhaps lost?"

"Um, if you want, I can tell you where the nearest homeless shelter is..." the brunette reluctantly offered.

No matter how humorous the situation would've been, I held myself back from doing something stupid like laughing out loud. The dude was weird but he was still our teacher, and I got the feeling he wouldn't forgive anyone for messing around.

"It's only the first day of school and already I've been lumped with a bunch of smart-alecky little brats," the man pulled himself off the floor while unzipping his sleeping back to further reveal the black attire and white scarf he wore. "I'm Aizawa Shōta, you're homeroom teacher for Class 1-A."

The ink-haired man then pulled something from his sleeping bag to lay on a random student's desk.

"I know this is sudden, but you all need to change in these P.E. uniforms. Be quick about it, time is precious."

Ten minutes later...

"A quirk apprehension test?"

With everyone dressed in dark blue tracksuits with the white letters "U" and "A" stamped on them, we all stood in a huddle outside a wide open deserted area next to a building of what I could only assume was the gym. This was... familiar. Like the name implied, not to mention the clothes we were wearing, we'd most likely perform some physical trials with our quirks so that the teacher could get an idea on how we functioned.

It was quick and straight to the point. I suspected it was better than having to awkwardly ask around when you could just as easily show it off.

Anyway, our homeroom teacher stood in front of the class, no longer half buried inside his sleeping bag that he abandoned back inside the classroom. He looked worn down, his posture was slouched, and his speech came off as lazy and utterly done with everything and everyone. Despite his bedraggled appearance, his baggy eyes watched every one of us with a sharp attentiveness that spoke volumes that despite his appearance and attitude, he was someone who was serious about his job.

He kind of reminded me of another teacher. Lazy, unassuming, had a weird hobby, but could kick your ass quicker than you could finish saying "jutsu".

"What about the entrance ceremony?" the doe-eyed girl asked, looking incredibly confused by the drastic change from the normal school introductions. "Or guidance sessions?"

Okay, so we won't be going to the entrance ceremony. So what? I didn't want to stand there and endure an hour of meeting teachers, calling out the names of the first-year students, and sing the national anthem. This was infinitely better than going through all that dumb shit.

"If you're going to become a Pro hero then it means you shouldn't waste time on frivolous events." Aizawa sighed heavily. "U.A. is unique for its unrestricted range on how teachers can guide their students. Traditions are not important here."

It made sense. We only had three years before we headed out into the real world without anyone to truly hold us back, and whatever decisions or actions we made could have an impact in the future; whether the impact resulted in something positive or dire was up to chance and circumstances. There was also the steadily growing pressure of having to be prepared for when the Symbol of Peace would step down.

It was currently April, eight months away from December. Fifteen months ago, I had been sitting in All Might's apartment where the man revealed to me his reason for moving into the city, along with how much time he suspected he had left. So much to do in a short period of time. Every minute in class, every day spent learning, every step getting closer to the place All Might needed me to go, it had to count.

"You all remember your junior high fitness tests, correct?" Aizawa pulled up a hand-sized tablet from his pocket. "The ones where you were told not to use your quirks."

Endurance running, upper body exercise, grip strength, softball pitch, fifty meter dash... Yes, I remembered doing those in junior high.

With cleaning up the mess Gantonden left behind, the faculty scrambled around to immediately create the records of each students for the school's system. Coach Sameodori was especially determined to get all his students' record on their physical tests in one day. It was thanks to his effort that a lot of the angry people in gym period found talent in sports when they channeled their fury into the correct outlet, giving them a chance to do better as high schools who favored athletes. In a super powered society, it would be hard to do normal things because of the quirk ordeal, but a lot of people still tried to keep traditions despite the hurdles life flung their way.

When I inhaled, I stiffened at the familiar scent of blood.

All Might.

Diverting my attention from the rest of the group, I looked for the source until my eyes fell upon familiar antenna-looking bangs that were sticking out around the corner of a building nearby. Another whiff of his scent and I could almost taste his anxiety. What was he doing out here in the first place? Better question: what got All Might spooked so bad that he was spying on us from afar?

Honestly, All Might needed to chill out a bit. Class had only just gotten started and already the teacher was moving business along without having to waste anymore time with things like boring introductions, so I really didn't get why the older man was so bothered by—

Something pierced the air.

 _ **snatch!**_

From the various startled gasps and yelps that came from the students, I turned my head back to the front and found a ball clutched firmly in the palm of my hand, inches away from colliding against my head.

It took a few seconds to realize what just almost happened before my gaze angrily whipped up to face the perpetrator: the homeroom teacher.

"So glad of you to join us." Aizawa drawled, his dark glare aimed at me. "Was I boring you?"

I didn't know what bothered me more: the fact if he knew I could bounce blunt objects off my body thanks to my rubber quirk which gave him incentive to throw objects at me, if my Sentinel quirk could sense the disruption in the air that caused microscopic ripples on my skin to pinpoint where the incoming attack was going to land, or if he simply thought it was okay to get away with throwing a hard ball at somebody's head like he hadn't cared if it gave them a concussion (or possibly killed them). Whatever idea I came up with, it all ended with bewildered fury.

As angry as that left me, I forcefully bit back my tongue while gritting out, "My apologies."

I caught his tiny scoff but I stubbornly kept my lips sealed shut.

"Since this doesn't seem important to some people, let's make this more interesting." Aizawa turned to face the other teens. "You'll compete in these eight physical tests to gage your potential; whoever comes in last will have none—"

His obsidian eyes flicked back towards me.

"And will be expelled effective immediately."

All at once, several students began to pitch a fit at the idea of getting kicked out on their very first day of school. When the teacher wouldn't budge for their pleas and protests, the frustrated teens turned against me.

"Why you gotta drag everyone down with you?"

"Yeah! This is your fault!"

"Nice going, Gunnarsen."

I felt my imaginary hackles rise from the heckling, lips slowly curling back to contort into something almost feral-like, but my gaze was directed towards the students. No, they were locked on the ink-haired man who didn't back away from meeting my livid tangerines. Not only did this motherfucker attempted to hit me with a goddamn ball, he was now framing me for being the cause of everyone's potential loss in their first day of class!

It was a tactic I was painfully familiar with: any time I did something the teacher didn't like (staring at nothing, doodling in my journal, not writing the correct math formula even though the answers were the same, caught _yawning_ in class), they would give surprise pop quizzes no one was prepared for, assign extra homework, order everyone to redo their work just because, all the while using me as the reason why everyone was punished for the "disruption" of one individual.

"Look at yourselves, already squabbling with each other like a bunch of snot-nosed brats." Aizawa glared at the class as a whole. "You have three years to shape up before you're thrown out there to protect every single life out depending on you to save them! Nobody will hold your hand, nobody will comfort you, nobody will chase away your fears and dry your eyes, so either go Plus Ultra or quit now while you're ahead."

...

The fifty meter dash was simple—until it wasn't.

With the threat of expulsion looming over everyone's heads, competition became even more cutthroat than that of the entrance practical exams. It wasn't robots we were fighting against this time, it was each other.

So with a lot of pressure riding on our shoulders, it became each man for themselves.

Karate boy and a slouching girl were the first to go up. When the shot went off, karate boy bolted forward and left the pouncing girl in the dust. Her leaps were far, but not enough to keep up with karate boy's engine-powered legs.

The next pair was the brunette girl and a blond who had a large muscular tail slung over his shoulder. The petite girl tapped her clothes and shoes before joining her partner for the race. Whatever quirk she used to help her didn't do much since the other boy used his tail to help him cover ground faster.

Another pair took the starting line: a pink alien-looking girl and a boy with sparkling violet eyes. He had his back turned, probably prepared to use his quirk with the special belt wrapped around his abdomen. Soon as the shot gave the both of them the signal to run, the boy blasted off by the force of his twinkling laser beam. It died halfway and the pink girl rushed past him, and even though he got up and blasted off again, he still ended up coming second place to her.

Next to go up was Bakugō and some guy with spiky red hair almost shaped like horns. It didn't surprise me when the ash blond blasted himself until he crossed the finish line, practically leaving the redhead to eat his smoke. Typical Bakugō.

"Tokoyami. Record Breaker. You're up." Aizawa waved towards the track.

Looked like I was up against the bird guy.

We both crouched low and tensed for the sharp crack in the air. Having counted the seconds of the shot from all the previous runners, I waited for the right time before forcefully sending a strong ripple down my body. When the shot was heard, the ripple returned with a force to give me the momentum I needed to lunge ahead of my opponent. Something dark flew past me towards the finish line, and it was yanking the bird guy forward. He was quickly catching up to me.

 _'Yeah, I don't think so.'_

Months spent pushing garbage and hauling a giant over my shoulders, like hell I was going to be the slowpoke here! And like hell I was going to let another pasty ass teacher bring me down just because they could!

"3.56 seconds!" a robotic voice announced. "4.01 seconds!"

 _'That was close.'_ I thought as I sneaked a glance at my running partner who absorbed the shadowy creature back inside his torso.

The next tests were manageable.

In the grip strength test, I managed to do a lot better than most but there was still a couple kids who easily surpassed me in terms of strength. The guy with multiple arms had the advantage by getting all his hands to squeeze the gripping machine at once, giving him a boost. Me and some other big dude came in third and forth place. As for the first place winner who by far was outdoing everyone else—I couldn't figure out who it was.

I came in fifth on the long jump.

A girl pulled a goddamn parachute out of nowhere and used the wind to her advantage to pick up off the ground and drift away until she touched down some football yards away from where she originally started. The next to go was a guy with half his hair painted red and white, and he launched himself while leaving behind a trail made up entirely of ice. Bakugō used his explosions to blast his way across until he couldn't go any farther. The doe-eyed brunette used her quirk to float away until dizziness and nausea got the best of her. I simply did the normal run and leap, going as far as I could—which was _kind of_ far but not really.

The side step thing was kind of mine and the grape-headed idiot's forte. While he piled up the spheres he plucked from his head to help him bounce between them, I inflated my arms into beach ball-sized shapes and rapidly slammed between them. It was the only time I came in first place which, to be honest, was kind of depressing.

Next came the ball throw.

Just like with the parachute, the girl with a wild ponytail summoned a goddamn cannon out of her stomach. I'm not kidding! She literally created a fucking cannon out of nothing but her skin, plopped the ball given to her by Aizawa inside it, and set the thing off with a loud _**KA-BOOM!**_

"1211.02... meters...?!"

"What the fuck...?" I mouthed quietly.

"No wonder she got special recommendations," karate boy beside me murmured quietly. "She would have clearly dominated the practical exams had she went through the process normally like everyone else."

"Special recommendations?" I quietly parroted.

"Yes. Only a handful can be accepted, and you have to be the best of the best in order to even try. Yaoyorozu and Todoroki come from very prominent families. They most likely have been training since early childhood in order to be ready for the trials to be placed in the heroic courses."

In other words, rich kids who have heavy connections and influential families. Whatever, it was't any of my damn business on who got in and who didn't.

"Iida. You're up."

Karate boy stepped inside a circle Aizawa gestured for him to enter before tossing him the ball. The bespectacled teen let the ball fall until it fell into the space where his foot connected to his leg. Keeping it carefully balanced, karate boy took a might swing of his leg from the engines on his legs and flung the ball towards the distance.

"634.03 meters."

"Wow. Pretty good!"

"It's ball throw. Is that even allowed?"

"Was the cannon?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Uraraka." Aizawa called. "You're next."

Passing karate boy, the doe-eyed girl clumsily caught the ball the ink-haired man tossed her. Once inside the circle, she simply tapped the ball and threw it. Unlike everyone who used mean firepower, hers lacked strength but everyone none the less watched it keep heading upwards without the sphere arching back towards the ground. Uraraka seemed to have unlimited range because even when everyone started to mumble how they could no longer see it, I was still able to keep track of the object as it shrunk into a small speck in the distance.

"Hey, can you still see it?" I heard the brunette ask when she returned to the crowd.

"Sort of." I replied, starting to squint now that it was getting difficult to see the ball. "I wonder if it'll get past the troposphere."

"That's a good question," the karate boy clapped a single hand under his chin. "Do you suppose her quirk can surpass the three spheres?"

That was a good question.

"Is that ball still going up?" someone asked.

I couldn't see it anymore.

"To infinity and beyond." I deadpanned.

" _INFINITY_?!"

Sure enough, an infinity symbol appeared on Aizawa's black tablet when he revealed it to the rest of the class.

"Bakugō."

The ash blond stood inside the circle, looked out at the large empty landscape then pulled his arm back. Familiar lights popping around his wrist, Bakugō stepped forward while directing his body downward to create more momentum for his arm that was swinging the ball. With a powerful explosion, the ball flew while leaving rings of smoke in its wake. Dust kicked up, air ruffling everyone's clothes and hair, and I picked up a few soft "wow's" and "awesome's" from the group.

"706.15 meters." Aiazawa read from the tablet.

It still didn't erase the sense of awe several people felt from the powerful display. It was bright, brilliant, and badass. Traits Bakugō was proud to have every time he walked down the street with little fireworks dancing across his palms, drawing people in who praised him for his amazing quirk.

"Step up, Mr. Record Breaker." Aizawa sarcastically beckoned me. "Let's see you go Plus Ultra."

I wanted to throw the ball right back at the teacher's face. Everyone already had their turn, but since it was at random, he kept picking others until finally I was the last to go. Jerk probably wanted me to fumble or embarrass myself. Maybe his quirk was making everyone around him feel miserable as he appeared, it sounded plausible considering just how frantic some of the students were with keeping their scores higher than everyone else so they wouldn't end up being the hopeless who was ranked last.

The only person who looked like he was going to piss himself was the midget with the grapes for hair. Besides the side step exercise, he pretty much lagged behind the whole class when it came to other physical tests. The dude looked about as faint as the brunette who was still recovering a bit from her lunge jump ordeal.

I took position inside the circle marked on the dusty ground.

Ever since confronting All Might at Dagobah Beach about One for All's backlash, I started to go out there when it was empty to try and learn how to harness its power. Needless to say, it resulted in me having to drag an ice chest full of ice bags with me during every single trip. The last three weeks in my junior high left me with sore bones and aching muscles, but my pain tolerance grew accustomed to the constant abuse the longer I went at it.

A week before my junior high class ended, Kawaki-sensei pulled me aside to share a piece of her wisdom (while waving a ruler near my face to emphasize how important it was); she demanded that when I got to U.A., I was to give the school everything I got.

Fast-forward to present time—that was exactly what I was about to do.

Inhale. Exhale.

Power rushed around my dominant arm for the nth time. It became visible in sharp surges of orange electricity encircling my entire limb as I pulled my arm backwards. It wouldn't be impressive-looking but I wanted to really go the distance with this pitch. If only my dorm mate could see me now when I mimicked the way he used to pitch the baseballs during the games he and his team went to.

With a grunt, I swung forward—and watched my arm awkwardly sail off with the ball?!

" _What the fuck_?" I snatched my arm back.

It was like One for All was forcefully cut off and my brain gave the wrong muscle signals which then led to my rubber quirk acting up, making the throw go totally off point. The damn ball didn't even get past the range line marked on the ground.

"The hell just happened?!"

"I erased your quirk."

Oh, I turned to face my teacher, now I remembered. Looking like a wicked witch with his floating black hair and glaring red eyes meeting my angry orbs, I remembered a man who had the quirk to nullify other quirks.

"Back at the practical exams, when you used your power to take down the zero pointer and blow away the falling rubble, you suddenly became incapacitated." Aizawa nodded to the crowd. "Two others had to risk their lives saving your sorry ass from getting crushed. Do you plan on crippling yourself after a single blow of your arm or legs? Do you think people will come to your rescue every time—"

"Give me the ball."

A tense silence fell over us.

" _Give_. _Me_. _The ball_." I gritted out slowly.

A few seconds later of tense silence, a new ball came up and I snatched it out of Aizawa's hand, glaring at him all the while as he stepped out of the circle (and out of my punching range).

I raised my arm and forced the skin to twist rapidly backwards until my arm resembled a corkscrew, but I wasn't finished. I threw my arm further backwards to let it stretch itself, ball still clutched firmly within my grasp.

"Whoa."

"Kinda gross though."

Like Bakugō, I took a step forward while bending my torso downward, flinging my arm in a wide arc as it began to untwist itself to create velocity for the ball's pitch. More in tune with my trusty rubber quirk, I released my hold and slammed my hand into the ground, kicking up another cloud of dust and turbulence.

The ball went the distance. It flew until gravity finally decided to bring it back down.

My angry eyes returned towards the teacher.

The numbers blared from the black tablet: 947.89 meters.

Making my way back towards the group, I slowed down while passing Aizawa. With a confident step in my gait and a subtle flex of my arm, I practically flounced myself in front of the teacher as a way to rub his scathing words right back into his scruffy face. He was silent but his dark eyes followed me, promising annihilation should I fall behind.

Which was pretty much unlikely at this point as I knew that I was ahead of most of the students here.

Without a word, I continued past him to join the rest of my class who greeted me with unimpressed looks. They didn't appreciate me goading the homeroom teacher so blatantly as it meant they would be further dragged to the bottom due to my "actions", but at this point I was all out of consideration. They could either suck it up and deal with it or just give up and get left behind.

Somewhere within the crowd, I heard a soft snort of amusement.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The rest of the tests were done quietly and without further disturbance.

Finally, Aizawa gathered everyone for the final test results to show everyone. The anxiety everyone was feeling was so toxic I could almost taste it. The most potent was the grape midget who began to chew his nails until his fingertips started to bleed from the nips. Karate boy appeared confident while the brunette girl shuffled nervously around her feet, but her face seemed a little determined.

I returned my gaze to the front.

"Oh yeah," the ink-haired man blinked. "I lied about the expulsion thing."

The class paused.

"It was a logical ruse; people under duress can perform exceptionally through leaps and bounds if the stakes are high enough."

Then—

" _WWHHHAAAAT_?!"

In the background, I crossed my arms and gave a quiet scoff of my own. The girl who pulled things from her pocket dimension heard and gave me a disapproving look, but she was largely ignored. Nearby, the grape-headed dwarf was crying literal tears of joy.

The teacher spoke of some syllabus waiting for us back in the classroom, and once it was clear that we were being dismissed for now, I turned and headed back towards the main school building with the others following.

The brunette girl jogged a little until she caught up to me, looking a little pale. "The whole thing made me feel like it was a hazing."

It did.

"I honestly thought he was going to expel me!" grape boy cried.

"He was." I said.

"C'mon man, don't joke about stuff like that!" the midget spluttered.

"Weren't you listening?" the ponytail girl spoke up, her tone veering a little on the condescending side. "He just said—"

"What he does and what he says are two different things, _princess_." I icily cut her off. I tapped my ear. "Besides, I could hear his pulse."

"You can hear irregularity in people's pulses?" karate boy asked, intrigued.

"Yeah." I glared ahead. "And I can hear Aizawa's lying cunt a mile away."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

 **. Toshinori .**

* * *

"You seem to have a lot of free time, All Might."

Pulling his eyes away from the group of retreating teenagers, the larger man turned to face the underground hero who was casually making his way towards the gym's entrance that was around the corner. Aizawa was most likely heading back inside to put away the equipment he used to test the children. Toshinori would have admired the other man's dedication to keep things organized and clean were it not for his earlier actions.

"That was cruel." the blond hero said, voice stern.

"Life is cruel. I'm not going to encourage people who half-ass their performances; better to let them down now than watch them get killed out there because they were overwhelmed by the obstacles in the real world." Aizawa scoffed. "I'm saving their lives while also preventing my time being wasted. I'm not going easy on a bunch of brats who have their heads stuck up their own rear ends."

"I'm not talking about that." Toshinori grounded out.

The ink-haired teacher paused from taking another step, obsidian dots watching him from the corner of their eye.

In the beginning when it came to a concern of what sort of teacher the young boy would end up with, Toshinori had his mind thinking back to Gantonden and his poor attempts in managing a school full of angry, abandoned, overlooked children. Young Sengoku wouldn't say it, but the hero could read between the lines of what Sengoku-kun's life was like growing up in school as he got older.

Majority of the teachers either ignored him (which was considered good in the boy's book) or dangled his grades above the fire in order to get the boy to do whatever they wanted. For someone as proud as young Sengoku, Toshinori could only imagine how humiliating the experience must have been, being forced to dance on the palm of someone's hands because they could ruin your life with a simple mark upon your record.

But now he saw. And his fear came true.

"You singled the boy out." Toshinori accused the other. "You used him to—"

"What's this? You sound like you're closely acquainted with Sengoku." Aizawa drawled, still eyeing him. "You also supported his placement despite his disqualification in the practical exams."

"And you made yourself quite clear on that particular matter." Toshinori easily quipped in return.

Aizawa had been one of the many teachers to be firmly against Sengoku-kun's entry to the school.

The black clad hero straightened up from his slouch, no longer looking like a homeless grouch people first mistook him for upon first glance, but rather an actual dangerous adversary to any and all who committed crimes. The blond tensed, waiting for the other to speak because it was better to get it out now than let it fester over a period of time.

"Your boy is a distraction." Aizawa coldly responded, voice no longer dull. "The second he stepped inside this establishment he's gotten nothing but unwanted attention drawn to him like moths to flames. Majority of the students became emotionally compromised, and many of them ended up failing because of him."

While that was true...

"You expelled a whole group of students because they didn't impress you. How is their lack of attention to the goal any different from the students who lacked potential to succeed as heroes?" the blond retaliated.

"Must be nice." Aizawa rolled his eyes over his entire form. "Being the number one hero comes with a lot of benefits, including having the principal's ear when you want something to go your way."

Toshinori felt his jaw clench.

"If I wanted to, I could have recommended Sengoku myself—but that would mean compromising my position as his teacher." Toshinori glared at the other. "And that's all I wish to be: his teacher."

The two men fell silent, and sensing the conversation done and over with, Toshinori turned to retreat back into the main offices. He felt his body begin to heat up in warning that he was about to lose his form.

"You're familiar with Sengoku's quirk, yes?"

The blond paused from his stride; he turned to face the ink-haired underground again.

"Sentinel and rubber." Toshinori replied. "What's wrong? Misplaced his file already, Aizawa?"

It was a petty jab but the blond was feeling equal parts angry, half for the boy and the other half on his growing frustration for the faculty that was so dead set on ostracizing the young man.

The other didn't respond. Instead, Aizawa's expression turned contemplative like he was working out the kinks and gears inside his mind.

"Just those two?"

It took every fiber of his being not freeze or give a visible full body shudder, and Toshinori was grateful his face was stuck in that same broad smile he was infamously known for. He frantically wondering why the other man would believe the boy would possess more than his eyes and body until a thought hit him like a red brick thrown at his head.

 _'The ball throw!'_

Of course! Aizawa erased One for All before young Sengoku could use it—it must've blindsided him since he wasn't expecting Sengoku's rubber quirk to act up!

"Something the matter, Aizawa?" he asked, playing dumb.

Realizing that he would find no answers from the older man, the ink-haired hero gave up on the pointless talk and turned away. Toshinori watched him go, holding his confused face until the other hero disappeared around the corner. He stayed a few more seconds in case the other changed his mind, but when Aizawa truly disappeared, the blond finally returned to his lonesome walk back to the main school building.

He was well aware of the underground hero's strong opinions, and Aizawa was not shy to tell it to his face: All Might was nothing more than a media attention grabbing whore. Well, if it meant spreading the breadcrumbs elsewhere instead of leading them straight towards himself and Sengoku-kun, he was more than happy to play the stupid blond hero stereotype.

Maybe if things had gone differently...

No, the underground hero was the last person he'd ever spill his closely guarded secret to. Revealing his true form to others for the first time had been terrifying yet necessary according to Principal Nedzu. Like always, the mammal was right, the blond needed all the help he could get because the principal and the school nurse weren't going to be enough.

But One for All was a secret that needed to stay secret.

He would make sure to leave Aizawa oblivious, and hopefully the other man would think the whole thing up as a fluke. His successor was already enduring enough social stigma, and the idea of the underground hero discovering the secrets of One for All didn't do much to inspire confidence in the older man. The ink-haired man was more likely to deem his successor unworthy of such power.

This was going to be a long semester.


	14. Chapter II: The Old (New) Shirt

**A/N:** I want everyone to get one thing straight because people are misinterpreting my stance on a certain character: I do in fact _love_ Aizawa-sensei. He's a grouchy cat hiding behind human skin, sometimes becomes a giant caterpillar crawling around the school hallways in search of coffee, and I have a headcanon that his appearance is more like a disguise to blend with the public so people could assume he's a homeless man, making it easier to take villains by surprise.

From the reactions of the reviews left behind by the readers... NOBODY READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES! NOBODY READ MY WARNING OF OOC IN THE STORY!

C'mon guys, ya'll should be old enough to read instruction manuals before diving into whatever you're doing. It's there for a reason!

Last chapter, I literally gave you readers an example of what was going on with daily citizens who have none of the stuff they need to control their quirks. But this shouldn't surprise me at this point that nobody ever reads the author's notes because everyone wants to skim the story, react to things they don't like, and play ignorant when they leave the review. You skim the story and ignore my author's notes and you won't know what's going on or what to expect from the next chapter!

 ** _0 Jordinio 0,_** It's clear to me that this story isn't for you. You're impatient and frustrated with the pacing, and it blows your mind on why people shit on the main character when he hasn't done anything to provoke such a response. Unless you've been busy complaining about no longer being able to appreciate seeing Kuzan's biceps because I updated his hero costume from the prototype design, you're not really seeing the whole grand scheme here. Don't worry though, not a lot of people do.

That's what story-telling is all about. It's about slowly unfolding and unraveling the things that were left unmentioned until the revelation comes up much later. I remember during the Arlong Park arc from One Piece where Jinbei's name was mentioned once, and then hundreds of chapters later, he's revealed. I assure you that it won't take too long, we're probably halfway at this point, but that depends on filler chapters and my work schedule that'll get busy during the winter holidays.

As for Kuzan making a scene on confronting his tormentors? One) that's like getting a first rate ticket straight out the door because the school doesn't tolerate indoor fights and students attacking teachers outside of training (even Bakugō isn't stupid enough to pull that shit inside the U.A. classrooms (only during hero training), and Two) have a little something called patience. My story's biggest theme is based on actions and consequences, cause and effect, subtraction and addition. If you're dissatisfied with that, then you're free to knock my story off your favorite's list, man. No skin off anyone's back here.

 ** _Raphaim,_** I can only say this to you: you can either endure the repetition or stop reading the story. Kuzan hasn't really done anything (yet) to prove that he's more than some liability to their society, so stick around to see how the story plays out or drop it altogether. But you'll be seriously missing out on the stuff that'll happen in the future chapters, my best advice to you would be ignoring the name-calling he's stuck with and keep holding on! I won't blame you for quitting because like I said to the guy above, this story ain't to everyone's tastes.

 ** _O-NovelAddict-O,_** Hey buddy, sorry about the notifications thing that you keep getting because I keep going back to editing my chapters. There's actually a reason for that; a couple of years ago when I was moving my stuff to a bigger room, my computer's hardware fell over and it ended up getting damaged that all the stuff I stored up in there got lost! So much stories and drawings I had in there was forever gone! And then there was the previous times when computer viruses ate everything up and left me without able to access previous things like photos and videos from trips, along with drawings and stories. It's from all these incidents that I've become paranoid at the possibility of losing my stuff again that I just started to do it right inside my account. Again, sorry about the notifications you keep getting but I'm only playing it safe when it comes to stuff like this. Hope you understand. Thanks for liking my story, btw.

 ** _The Weapon 2000,_** I warned a lot of people in the previous chapter about the Out of Character business, but I suppose nobody likes to read author notes these days. Anyway, yes, there's that reason but another which will reveal itself if you care to read some more.

 ** _Guest,_** It's only been one day for Kuzan, so he's got a whole school of people to deal with. Yeah, I know you (along with a lot of people) feel disappointed with Aizawa's behavior, but you are right on that observation. Actions do speak louder than words when it comes to proving people wrong.

 ** _Mr Beaver Buttington,_** Once I begin my "Rubber Band Theory" side-story fic, I'll delve deeper into the subject. Until then, you gotta deal with the chapters I leave you.

 ** _redskin122004,_** I initially didn't want to make him into an asshole but like everything else I say: there's a reason behind it. Remember, this story is full of consequences from the actions that took place before, and you will eventually find out what it is that makes Aizawa feel such prejudice against Kuzan and his family.

 ** _Doremy Sweet,_** Oh yes indeed. This truly will come back to bite certain people's rear ends when the time comes (and it appears to be not that far).

 ** _ReadingnerdOtaku,_** A lot of people feel it, too. This is what happens when I go back to my Naruto manga collection and remember just how far that orange ball of sunshine had come from to become not only a hero to his village, but someone who eventually reached the title of his dreams since he was a lonely, angry child.

 _ **suntan140,** _You best buckle up and stick around because you're in for the long haul before that day arrives. But it will be worth the wait when the moment comes!

 _ **TRASHKIING,** _You have no idea how long I've waited to finally write down that line! I just knew deep down it would be the most iconic thing ever said upon first meeting the teacher! I had to, man! I _HAD_ TO!

 ** _BUDDYBOIGuest,_** Here ya go, lol!

 ** _errydaymPurple,_** *shakes fist* You wish you won the argument, you little shit! Anyway, as for the battle trial thing, I've already come up with a couple of interesting pairs, you won't be disappointed when they clash. Trust me, it's gonna be epic! As for the memory thing, imagine you've been living away from your original place and then when you go back years later, you have to rely on sight and guesses on where the right direction is, you know? The only reason Kuzan even remembers Aizawa (sort of) is because he happened to like his character. Funny, huh? You like someone and it turns out they don't like you. Hahahaha... hah... ha... *cries*

 ** _Phantom Aficionado,_** Hey there, haven't heard from you for awhile! Like I said, take your time with your story, no rush at all. I'm almost a few chapters away from the USJ arc and its aftermath, so afterwards I can get to work on that story with Hien and Kuzan. I'm kind of excited!

 _ **Prince,** _Only you. ONLY YOU WOULD BREAK MY BOX! Ohmygosh, I sound like a petulant child who's throwing a tantrum over some broken shit, but whatever. Yeah, sorry but not sorry, everything was just literally out there! It made me fidgety and stuff, lol. Yeah, I was cracking up when I wrote that bit with All Might _DEMANDING_ for Kuzan to respond or call or show up because he was so worried about his boy (we all know by now he's secretly co-parenting Kuzan when mom and dad are busy). I know it's all fanfiction and shit but I fucking LOVE HOW ALL MIGHT DOTES ON HIM, TOO! BECAUSE I KNOW HE'D DO IT FOR REAL IN CANON! #DADMIGHTISREAL!

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter II: Part IV**

 **.**

* * *

 _"You want my what?"_

 _Letting out a small sigh, I rubbed the back of my head while turning to face Taishir_ _ō. The giant was currently leaning against the wall next to the police station's entrance, dressed casually while we both waited for dad who was doing some last minute paperwork before heading out to join us. Mom sent us out to pick up some grocery and dad called_ _Taishir_ _ō for his input on the case they both were still working around._

 _"The hero costume you wore when you were in high school," I stressed out. "Can I have it?"_

 _His round eyes blinked owlishly._

 _"Kuzan, it won't fit on ya. You'll look like a lil' baby playin' dress up with grown up clothes."_

 _I wilted at the news._

 _Okay, sure, I knew he was huge, but I was hoping he could at least own something tight enough that it could somewhat fit around my frame without engulfing me completely. The old Fat Gum costume my cousin wore when he started his internship had to have survived all these years... right? Costumes changed over the years, as if their experience was outwardly shown by the changes to their uniforms. I had hoped_ _Taishir_ _ō might've kept his around for nostalgia's sake._

 _"Hey, hey," his humongous palms rest on my head. "What'sa matter?"_

 _Another sigh._

 _"We have to admit submissions of hero costumes to the school." I quietly tell him._

 _As if possessing tingling arachnid senses that had nothing to do with Sentinel abilities and all about knowing the tics of your own flesh and blood,_ _Taishir_ _ō instantly knew something was the matter with his baby cousin. And once he knew something was up, he would pull his years of experience from hero work to quickly analyze the conversation while simultaneously drawing up various ideas on why I wanted to have his old hero costume so badly._ _And after years of seeing his cousins take on the angry brunt of the people, the larger hero instantly pieced together what the problem was._

 _"Oh, Kuzan,"_ _Taishir_ _ō sagged. "The school wouldn't—"_

 _The large man cut himself off. He remembered catching wind of what happened in the U.A. entrance exams; the Gunnarsen Bastard spotted picking up his uniform that was dumped across the campus' entryway. He also heard about the part where I fell inside the water fountain, forced to walk back home while dripping wet in the cold weather with a trail of laughter following behind my footsteps._

 _The school did the right thing in dismissing a lot of those little shits afterwards for their misconduct, but the action to do so took quite awhile as teachers were up in arms about it until the principal finally had to put his foot down on the matter. The whole thing left a bitter taste behind everyone's mouths._

 _Taishir_ _ō had a lot of reason to suspect, based on history alone, that this wasn't going to be the first incident he'll be hearing from his old high school._

 _Bearing in mind the possibilities of what could happen, it was safe to say I was right in worrying about what could happen if I submitted a costume to the Department of Support. Hero Support wasn't the top peak as it was in other various places around the world, but Japan stubbornly tried to catch up with its own resources they had left at their disposal. The only problem the country continued to face was the equipment not being as reliable; gear constantly breaking down after a week or month of constant usage or from damage received during battle._

 _The Fat Gum armor had to be constantly checked before_ _Taishir_ _ō could go out on his patrols. It was a task most tedious, but it beat having something break down in the middle of a fight where most of the time you ended up hospitalized._

 _Or dead._

 _The mortality rate for heroes had grown exponentially after foreign companies pulled their support from out of the country._

 _What would happen if I, the person unfortunately related to the man who caused such a drastic recession, was to ask for gear? My cousin released a sound that was between a grunt and a frustrated sigh; it became obviously clear to him what could happen if I tried to submit a costume design._

 _"Alright." I ceased pulling at my zipper to find_ _Taishir_ _ō pulling a phone out of his large pocket. "I've still got my old costume. I'm gonna call someone and see if they can do some size adjustments, 'kay?"_

 _"Thanks, Tai." I told him, genuinely relieved of the news._

 _My cousin beamed the biggest smile he could muster, something All Might would be proud of._

 _"'S all good, bro! '_ _Sides, heroes are suppose to save the day!"_

A couple of hours after we all survived expulsion from our (thankfully absent) homeroom teacher, we were introduced to the other teachers that we missed meeting in the entrance ceremony. English, Modern Literature, Art History, Mathematics, and some other mundane subjects, all of it reminding everyone that despite where they are and what they were training to become, this was still a high school focused on educating our young minds.

A majority of the class, mainly the pink girl, the idiot with the lighting bolt highlight in his hair, and spiky redhead, appeared to be disheartened with the news that they would be subjected to more boring lessons.

However, what the teachers were giving us wasn't going to be your average lesson; the subjects all had something to do with heroics. While I understood the need to delve deep inside the roots of heroes, another part of me wasn't as swayed as the rest of my eager classmates. They all were blind to the bright colors, the flashy lifestyle, and the exaggerated stories heroes often told when it came to their selfless deeds. Propaganda was immensely strong in the hero industry.

Society needed to fill in those blank slots whenever a hero fell, and who better to do that than a bunch of ignorant, starry-eyed brats who couldn't see past the capes, glory, and popular Pro heroes?

Seeing as the next teacher was coming in late (or did they purposely leave us alone?), everyone began to mingle with one another. The topic came back to the insane quirk apprehension test and what ranked they received when Aizawa showed everyone the results.

There was a girl's uniform floating in the air, their sleeves wringing in an almost frantic manner as they sounded distressed for being almost expelled when they saw their name placed above the grape boy who was ranked dead last. She, along with a few other girls, were standing around Yaoyorozu's desk, praising the tall girl for her awesome ideas that guaranteed her surpassing every test the teacher threw at us. I remembered her being ranked first place.

After her was the twin shaded boy, Todoroki. He didn't look to be paying any attention to the praises several other people were giving him. If anything, he seemed to be mulling over something since his gray and teal eyes didn't move from their spot in staring a hole into his desk.

I got third place.

I honestly didn't expect to rise that high in the ranks, but that's exactly what happened. A lot of the other students turned out to be better at several subjects than most others, but Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, and myself were pretty much spread all across the tests rather than focusing on one which placed us as the top five. It was moments like these I was glad All Might really pushed me to do better back at the beach, and even more glad I took up free running across the urban districts with Noctis and Cyan when my schedule allowed it.

The fourth place belonged to karate boy.

Bakugō landed fifth place.

The heat wafting from Bakugō's spot was telling enough about what he truly felt regarding his placement in the quirk apprehension test. He obviously thought his quirk alone was going to push him past everyone until he took first place for himself, but explosions didn't help him when it came to strength and endurance. Sure, the endurance run boosted him to get ahead of everyone else, but I knew for a fact that he couldn't continue for long.

I could still recall the jerk being warned time and time again to stop using his explosions so much because the nitroglycerin he secreted from his sweat glands would dry up and leave him exposed to the heat, burning his arms when there was nothing to keep his skin cool. And let's not forget the force of his explosion which could cause serious internal damage to his bones and muscles. He was in need of protective arm braces to keep him from breaking his limbs.

The ash blond teen wasn't used to being bested by other people no thanks to all the praises adults and other children alike have been giving him since early childhood (and that was before his quirk showed up). Everyone kept stoking the fire, building it up until the flames grew out of their control. People got burned by the heat and blinded by the brightness of Bakugō's powers.

And because of that, the little shit got it in his head that he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I could only imagine how much of a shock this place was going to give him once Bakugō discovered that he wasn't on top of the hierarchy pyramid like he originally thought he was.

"Hi! I'm Uraraka Ochako, nice to meet you!"

The introduction came out of nowhere.

"Uh..." I stumbled with my words, not used to people whom I barely know approaching me with such cheery disposition. "Okay?"

"Sengoku Kazan, right?"

" _Ku_ zan."

"Oops, sorry," the brunette laughed a little, cheeks becoming more rosy than they already were. "I kind of struggled to remember if it was _ka_ or _ku_."

 _"Did you know our names are kind of the same?"_

"Think of the number nine." I offered quietly. "It might help."

Something flashed across the girl's face. Her bright caramel eyes glazed a little and her smile dimmed, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. I felt the muscles of my jaw twitch like it wasn't going to wait for my brain to catch up. Thankfully, my brain did catch up, and it quickly yanked the muscles back from spilling words so carelessly like it did earlier this morning with Aizawa.

I had already pissed off one person in the short period of the first class session and it almost got someone expelled from the school, all because I opened my stupid mouth. So yeah, I was better off keeping to myself in order to prevent any further punishment. First day in school and already the majority of my classmates regarded me as a threat to their placement in the hero course.

"I promise I won't forget the name." Uraraka vowed, her tiny fist raised as if to emphasize the determination she felt.

"Sure." I mumbled.

A lot of people didn't bother to remember my name, preferring to call me by the usual label I've been slapped with since I was little. It used to bug the crap out of me back then, but after a decade of hearing it ring over my head like a broken record, it became a sort of thing that was simply there. It was like a bumper sticker slapped on your car, forced to go with you everywhere you went and not scraping off any time soon.

The classroom door slid open and everyone ceased their chit chat and mingling to see who came in. The moment I looked up, I found myself freezing up like a petrified victim who caught sight of a Gorgon monster.

"Everybody say _HEY_ ~!"

 _I was screaming._

 _Someone just had to hear me!_

 _The music was too loud, the voices too high, I couldn't stop screaming for he_ _—_

"Hey, you alright?"

Quickly blinking out the dark images from behind my mind's eye, I found Uraraka giving me a look of concern. A glance towards the front classroom where Present Mic was gesturing for everyone to return to their seats (karate boy offering his enthusiastic assistance by wildly swinging his arms like he was a robot gone rogue against humanity), I swallowed the bile and gave a sharp nod.

I didn't trust myself to speak.

The brunette lingered but she was ushered back to her desk by the karate boy.

Inhale.

P͍͙̳̭̹̭ͅl͓̞̫̣̿̓ͥ̇̇ͫȇ̇ͫ͊a̷͗̉̈́̆̂̈́s̖̰͙é͉͖̼̣̖̻̰̓͑͝!͙̭̹̒ͫ̔͋ͩ̐̑͜ ̵̝̲̱̬̹̊ͣ̔̒F̩ͥ̊ͪ̎͝o̝̺͕r̙͔̔ ͕̝̠ͮͨṭ̺̳̞͚̞̔̂̈́̇͗̅͌h̦̝̻ͦͣͧ̉ͅe̋ͣ̆̆̍ ̜͙̮͊̆l͖̾͋o͓̬̼̳͓ͪ͞v̬̝̱̘̭̰̅ͣe͌ͮͭ̓ͪ̌ ̗̥̻̝͋ŏ͈̻̣̿̓̈ͪͧͫͅf̢͔͙̖̗̎̈́̂̇̅͆ͧ ̹̖̄ͪ̓G͚̣̥̝̦̫̻õ̧̥̯̜̲̱͓̍ͩ̉d̪̘̗̩̙̺͊͂̓̊ͧ̊,̢̝̟̘͎̱̱̙͛͗̓̑ͬͫ s̨o͕̭̗ͮ̈̆̍͊̚̚m͒͏͉̦̹͕̗͔e̳͔̱̯͚̺ͤ̿ͫͣͫ̅̿͞b̶ͨo͎͔̭͌̌̈̿ͪ̐͝d͖͎͖̼̾ͨ̔͝y̜̺̼͓̭̅̔̑̅͆͠ ̐̒̿̚ḧ̲͔͓̱̟̠̩e͎͍͔͆̌͑̊̍̄̉l̪̫̿͐́͆͛͆̚p̓ u̗̰͟s͇̲̫͗͋̐!͉̜̟̦̞̎̃̑̌ͯ̃̚

Exhale.

A familiar sensation tingled at the side of my head; someone was staring at me.

Giving into the urge, I looked to my left.

Glaring red eyes watched me like a giant magnifying glass watched a feeble insect. Bakugō was looking for something on my face, but I didn't want to help find whatever he was searching for, so I forced myself to look back towards the front of the room. I trained my eyes on the whiteboard and dulled my hearing sense to filter out Present Mic's voice while he went on about what subject he would teaching the whole class (it was English).

It took awhile, but the tingling sensation faded away.

...

The place looked more like a mall's food court than a school's cafeteria.

There was a couple of serving stations and buffet tables waiting to offer every student a healthy meal for surprisingly cheap prices. I could tell the food was delicious because my mouth was watering from the aromas hanging over everyone's heads. The first-years didn't waste time in following after the older students to nab themselves something to eat...

But I couldn't join them.

"Hey, where you going?" Uraraka asked when she saw I was heading towards the opposite direction of the serving lines.

"The tables are this way, Sengoku-san!" karate boy called out, arm stabbing the air towards where everyone else was going to pick up a tray and plate.

I waved my own little box of lunch in the air before continuing to find my own table that was hopefully separated from everyone else in the entire cafeteria.

As good as the food smelled, I could never put my trust in strangers who were handling my plate. It costed me an unpleasant week long stay at the hospital and I really didn't want a repeat of the incident. My family had to resort through other means to procure food by asking co-workers or Taishirō to pick up the take-outs we ordered online, or like with Noctis and Cyan, pulled cheap disguises on and grabbed the food ourselves (making sure to leave the establishment immediately afterwards).

In the middle of thinking about whether or not I was allowed to go outside and eat in peace, I spotted a couple of smaller tables at the other end of the cafeteria that appeared to be mostly deserted of babbling teens. The small tables only had a few seats which meant not a lot of people I had to force myself to deal with (though I'll just stare at them like some weirdo until they got creeped out and skedaddled elsewhere). I sat down and started poking around in my bento for the food I prepared myself this morning.

Munching on my tuna mayo stuffed onigiri, I eavesdropped on several conversations. Some were third-years talking about the good progress they made during their internships with the hero agencies they worked at, others were business students babbling about hypothetical charts and what ways they could increase Japan's economy, but majority of the chattering belonged to the excited first-years.

This was kind of like when me and my friends first started in high school, joking about how we were now in the same age group as the cool kids, get stinking drunk, and lose our V-cards to the hot girls, but that line of thinking went out with the trash because high school wasn't like the movies. It was humiliating, scary, and emotionally exhausting as it was mentally.

The one and only thing I was thankful for in this second life was that I was able to keep my memories so I wouldn't make dumb and embarrassing mistakes like I did the first time around. I was a bit wiser now, not as gullible as the next person who followed society like a religious whack followed a hypocritical leader.

Before I knew it, the day ended quickly and it was time to pack up and go home.

Once the teacher dismissed us, I was the first person out the door and power walking my way towards the shoe lockers the first-years were assigned to. Thank God those has locks considering what happened the last time I left my stuff unattended. After I switched my indoor slippers into my forest green Nike's, I all but jogged out the door.

I had to get home and change my clothes to work-out attire so I could make my way towards Dagobah Beach. The place was usually empty of lovers during weekdays, so that meant I could practice using One for All without any disruptions.

As much as it pained me to admit, the hobo homeroom teacher was right to assume that my control with One for All wasn't absolute. He was also right about getting my sorry ass handicapped in the middle of a fight since that's exactly what happened during the practical exams. Uraraka and the karate boy were the ones to save me from getting pinned under the giant zero pointer (putting their own lives at risk).

I never _ever_ wanted to be put in a situation where somebody risked themselves to save me because I couldn't move my damn body.

Ǐ̽̆̊̽̊̿͏̹͙̯̥̹t̜ͫ͊̔̓̀'̄ͯ͟ͅs̰̯̮̰̪̒̀ ̶̯͍̼̬́̀̆͋̒̌͆ő̦͇͕͆̑k̛ͣͣ̑̈́a̞͔͐ͤ̈́̓y͈̦͉̬̤̖̕

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 ** _SPLASH!_**

"Ow! Dammit, _owww_...!"

Like I suspected, Dagobah Beach was deserted (yet I scoped the entire area just to be absolutely sure it was devoid of life). With only an ice chest full of cool packs to keep me company, I stood before the shorelines and practiced summoning the power of One for All. Much to my chagrin, my handle of its awesome power was barely stable, and there was moments where I thought I got a hold of it before it slipped away.

"C'mon, gotta do this right." I muttered to myself, aiming towards the ocean again. "Here we go."

Ignoring the muscles that screamed for mercy, sparks of orange light danced at the corner of my vision as I concentrated on the power flowing into my arm. I imagined One for All being an extension of my limbs, like a weapon I was holding when I stretched my arm out to strike. With a grunt, I swung my arm forward and released the tidal wave of power upon the ocean.

Like fire coursing through the streams of my veins, it burned and my sensory receptors immediately signaled my brain to cut off the source of the pain.

" _Shit_!" I cursed again, ignoring the explosion of water as I cradled my arm. "What the hell am I doing wrong?"

Before I could stomp over towards the ice chest to rip out a cooling pad, the familiar scent of blood pierced through the ocean's clean salt air. Easily detecting the illness clinging to the red copper, I didn't bother to watch their approach and instead focused on caring for my throbbing arm. Their arrival was mostly soundless thanks to the sand muffling their footsteps, but I could hear their single lung and the pulse of their heartbeat.

"You look like you're seconds away from murdering someone," came All Might's jolly greeting which made me stop and look back because it was too loud, and sure enough there his muscular form. "Should I be concerned, Sengoku-kun?"

"Why?" I grit my teeth whilst wrapping the cooling pad around my forearm. "You offering?"

"So violent!" All Might sputtered, his broad figure disappearing in a cloud of evaporated smoke until there was only his scrawny frame. His voice no longer booming but quiet and smooth. "Tough day, am I right?"

"That's a gross understatement." I glowered. "Out of all the people in the school, I get lumped with the one teacher who wants nothing more than to bite my freaking head off! That jackass threatened to expel me if I didn't do my best in his stupid apprehension quirk test, but then goes and tells me to quit because I was a sitting duck after using One for All in the exams!"

All Might winced.

"Now I gotta figure how the hell I can use it without hurting myself because something tells me that Aizawa's gonna ride my ass about it if I so much as use it during training." I snarled before furiously throwing the cooling pad back inside the ice chest. "Fucking prick!"

"Okay, okay," All Might stepped towards me to rest his hands on my shoulders. "Keep calm, kiddo. This is why I'm here: to help teach you how to wield its power."

With a heavy exhale, I forced myself to calm down. "Okay."

"Good, now walk me through what you did when you used it." All Might's thumbs pressed into the meat near the back of my neck while the rest of his fingers held onto my shoulders, making circular motions so it would ease the taut skin. "How did it feel when you used One for All?"

"Well, it hurt like a bitc—"

"Young man!" All Might admonished.

"Sorry," I grunt. "What I meant to say was I felt like a cup full of water."

"Good metaphor! Right now you're full of energy and it's slipping drops over the cup's rim, but with time you're going to grow strong enough to contain and adjust One for All's power!" All Might suddenly beefed up from behind me. "Like this!"

I stared at him as if he grew an extra head out of his shoulder.

"There's nowhere in that sentence where I caught a hint of how to manage One for All!" I growled at the bigger man. "You suck as a teacher, All Might!"

"So mean!" All Might coughed, deflating back to his scrawny form.

"Seriously though," I inspect my limbs, massaging their tendons to see if the last bits of cramps was completely gone. "How did you get accustomed to One for All's power?"

"It obviously wasn't easy. I mean," All Might pulled away as he tried to come up with appropriate words. Whatever he found, he perked up and whirled around to point his forefinger at my face like it was a sword. "One for All is about sensation!"

"What the hell are you going on about now?!" I demanded as I shoved his hand away.

There was no need for his dramatic speeches and cryptic words! It was just like every book and movie: there's a teacher and student, and it so happened the student was struggling over something and the teacher was being an ass by not telling them the direct answer. I understood the meaning behind the whole thing, Truly I did, with the student needed to grow in order to become more wiser and understanding of the world around them, but I needed more than some fucking training and "sensation"!

"I need help with this and you're just messing with my head!" I griped at the older man. "C'mon, man!"

"Sorry, I'm trying to figure it out myself here. It's been _decades_." All Might apologized, hand rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish manner.

Great, now I felt like a total dick for yelling at the poor guy.

He was doing his best despite how much he sucked at it. Still, he was lucky he was incredibly popular by the public and heroes to not get fired from his job... though that could change depending on how well he handled his first class session with the students. Hopefully he wouldn't get overwhelmed and distracted by the parading and screeching of the brats vying for his attention.

"So it's from a feeling?" I prompted.

"Like there's another presence residing within me." All Might tapped his chest.

That was an odd thing say, I thought.

Sentient quirks existed (I got a good glimpse of one up close at school), but to describe One for All as another presence inhabiting your body? Maybe All Might was getting sentimental on passing the torch of his powers to somebody else since his time masquerading as a hero was almost over. The older man probably would have given the hero business a few good years before finally throwing in the towel and retiring had the choice been still available for him.

Or maybe he would have continued on even as he was much older with silver strands standing out in his once bright blond hair.

Looking down at myself, I pondered on how to describe One for All. After a minute, only one thing came up in summarizing the quirk's existence.

"To me it feels kind of like a hand-me-down shirt."

A choked cough came from the lanky blond standing beside me.

"I can't believe you called One for All a hand-me-down," the blond chortled, electric blue eyes gleaming with mirth. "That's so disrespectful!"

"You say it's disrespectful but clearly you don't think it is." I quipped.

Soon his giggling turned into a type of laughter one felt when it came from the the depth of a person's torso, coming out deeply and sincerely. While watching him, an odd feeling of something light came over me. It was as if a heavy burden was hefted from my shoulders for a brief moment. Seeing the usually sickly, tired, injured, and sometimes troubled old man get a laugh out of something so silly, it made you feel like life wasn't all that bleak as most perceived it to be.

The muscles near the corner of my mouth twitched. The urge to pull my muscles back came, but it was gone as soon as I noticed it.

Forcing myself to concentrate on figuring out the mystery of mastering One for All, I delved back into my thoughts and memories when using the quirk. It was a power I could easily summon yet barely had any control over.

What to do, what to do...

"C'mon, young man, you're not gonna figure it all out in one day." All Might waved a hand towards the sky. "It's getting dark, you ought to head home and rest up because tomorrow is where things get really heated up."

"I know," I sighed. "But I can't leave this alone. This happens every time I'm trying to figure out a complicated puzzle piece I'm working on, I'd leave it alone, but then I'd see it in the corner of my eyes, sitting on the dining room table taunting me until I go over and finally connect the missing pieces together."

"You said One for All is like a hand-me-down shirt, remember? Start thinking of it as a shirt you have to wear!" All Might suggested.

"Not this again..." I groaned.

"No, no, c'mon, just try to think of it like that. Yes, it sounds silly when said out loud, but it might help you in figuring out how to control your new quirk."

" _Ugh_ , fine." I glared at the sand while grumbling. "Anything to shut that hobo up."

"The last thing you'd want to be doing is antagonizing Aizawa-san. He expelled many students the last year because he didn't think they'd make the cut as professional heroes, so for your own sake ignore him."

Again, All Might was right. Aizawa was just another face in the long list of people who weren't all too shy in showing how they truly felt about me, and I shouldn't give a rats ass about what the underground hero thought of me.

But my mind rebelled and went racing back towards the ink-haired man.

Story time: back then in my previous life, Aizawa was one of the few characters of the story I actually liked. He was normal, chill dude, and I might have thought he was a hipster type of person, but he was pragmatic and the way he taught class was sensible. However, after meeting him, he was nothing but a cunt in league with all the other sheep. I would've thought he was sensible enough to not get caught up with the stupidity of society, but I guess that was my fault for being optimistic.

Shaking my head to clear the thoughts again, I pulled my arms up and watched the limbs illuminate from the static flashing around them. Making sure I backed away from All Might so he wouldn't accidentally fall over from the force of the swing, I aimed back towards the ocean and throw another powerful punch.

 ** _SPLASH!_**

" _OOowww_!" I gritted, cradling my arms to my chest again. "Dammit, dammit, _DAMMIT_!"

"Here," All Might reached for a cooling pad inside the ice chest and wrapped them around my arms. "Seriously kid, you've got three years to figure it out. Take it easy."

"I just," I struggled a bit. "I don't get it! I'm trying to treat it like it's one of my own quirks, pulling up the power little by little so it won't give me these damn cramps, but it doesn't work!"

"Each quirk is unique, young man; you can't expect One for All to stretch your body or enhance all five of your senses, it doesn't work like that." All Might huffed with his hands at his hips. "While it's accurate that One for All is a hand-me-down, it's still a brand new shirt to you. Your sentinel and rubber quirks are like shirts you've worn for years from constant use."

When I opened my mouth to give All Might another snippy retort—I froze.

"What did you say?" I spoke, my voice uncharacteristically soft to All Might's ears.

The older man's brow scrunched a little in confusion at the sudden change of mood. "I said your quirks are worn shirts and One for All is the new one you need to wear in order to get comfortable with it."

"No, no," I shook my head slowly, my expression in a trance-like state as I looked into the distance for nothing ahead but for the something hidden in my mind. "What you said just then. Say exactly what you said to me. _Please_."

Instantly knowing that I was onto something, he did as he was told. "It's accurate that One for All is a hand-me-down, it's still a brand new shirt to you. Your sentinel and rubber quirks are like shirts you've worn for years from constant use."

My body was still yet my insides were exploding with activity. Thoughts were racing across my brain, bouncing inside my cranium as I slowly analyzed the words All Might said to me to find the missing pieces I needed to complete the picture. It was right there, it was right in my grasp. I could feel the answer edging closer towards my outstretched fingertips.

"One for All is a hand-me-down, but it's still a brand new shirt. My sensory and rubber quirks are shirts already worn from years of constant use." I whispered out loud.

My quirks, One for All, the shirts both new and old.

And then like a person who's suddenly discovered the true meaning of life, existence, and the universe, the dots connected and the pieces of my puzzle fell into place. The answer to the riddle was—

"Sengoku-kun?" All Might was waving his hand in front of me, seeming concerned of my utterly quiet and still form. "You still with me?"

I released a small huff of air.

"I'm an idiot." I exhaled breathlessly.

With only the starry sky to shed some light around the entire beach, the last thing All Might expected to see was brilliantly bright orange sparks dancing wildly through the air whilst chasing away the darkness surrounding us.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The first day of U.A. High School acted like an introduction to our courses. It was also a great way for the first-years to get comfortable and familiar with the new halls they were going to be occupying for the next three years. Nothing drastic really happened besides our apprehension test, but I suspected the next day was when our classes finally kicked it up a notch.

And I was right.

After the morning classes (making sure to keep my head down to avoid incurring the wrath of our homeroom teacher), and enduring an awkward lunch with my classmates because karate boy was insistent on keeping track of everyone for some odd reason, Class 1-A was finally going to begin the course everyone's been waiting for since they slipped their names into the administrations offices.

Hero Basic Training

"This is so cool!" lightning boy squirmed in his seat. "I can't believe we're actually gonna do training and stuff!"

"My blood's getting pumped up thinking about it, man!" the redhead with the shark teeth grinned at his companion.

"I wonder who's going to be teaching the class?" the pink alien chick who felt oddly feverish even from where I was sitting wondered out loud.

As if a demon summoned from a Satanic circle, I picked up the sound of heavy footsteps steadily approaching the door. It didn't take long to make out the huge figure from beyond the small window of the classroom, their silhouette of their antenna telling enough without sniffing. Knowing how dramatic he tended to be upon entrance, I braced myself.

I was not disappointed.

" _I AM HERE_...!"

Multiple pairs of eyes flew towards the entrance of the class where it had flown open to reveal the new teacher conducting our hero training session for the evening. Following the surprise, I heard a skip in heartbeats from the students.

"COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"

All Might was leaning forward on the tip of his toes while holding himself balanced by the grip he had on the frame of the doorway. His cape made a dramatic sweep, bringing out more awe in the kids as they continued to take in his presence like flowers to the brilliant sun.

" _Herregud_." I muttered under my breath while resting my cheek against an open palm.

The number one hero then proceeded to prance towards the podium like a show pony. Everyone was too busy gushing and bouncing in their seats to crack a joke at All Might's ridiculous entrance, their eyes shining with absolute adoration for the blond man and his antenna-shaped bangs.

"Hey look, I think he's wearing his Silver Age hero costume," the girl with long green hair pointed out. "Really old school."

"I'm getting goosebumps looking at him!"

"So retro!"

Giving the older man's costume a once over, I realized that he looked a lot like the action figure sitting on my nightstand back home. The edge of his cape looked a bit tattered on the bottom, and it surprised me that he hadn't gone to replace the fabric to make it more clean. But then again, he might've left it alone on purpose to give a subtle show towards the audience that him and his suit have seen a lot of shit throughout the many years he's been active.

"Welcome to the most important class in U.A.!" All Might beamed at the entire class. "Think of it as Heroics 101!"

Then the blond proceeded to get low while flexing his muscles, unequivocally shameless in the act of showing off his massive, bulky frame he knew would really get everyone's attention. I remembered back at Dagobah Beach, when I was still training under the blond, I had been swimming out in the ocean to collect trash whilst he kept a keen eye on me from the shoreline in case something went wrong and he had to interfere (after the truck incident, he became obnoxiously cautious of my work-out "equipment" scattered across the junkyard).

I had went under for a minute but when I resurfaced, All Might was trapped within a ring of bikini-clad women. Like sharks drawn by the scent of blood, they circled and took chunks of meat until their prey fled the scene in a hurry. Those tiny women literally chased the number one hero out of the beach! I took immense pleasure in poking and jabbing at the older man at almost every opportunity (which turned out to be a poor decision when he retaliated by making my work-out routine much more difficult than it already was).

Biceps bulging, quadriceps tight, pectorals bouncing back and forth across his broad chest, and neck tendons stretched out, he was the very definition of awesome power.

Meanwhile, I was staring at him in utter bewilderment because did he really just bounce his man boobs like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson? This line of thinking also made me wonder if All Might also possessed the ability to give enemies an intense smoldering stare.

Who the fuck was I kidding? All Might was Japan's version of Chuck Norris!

"No time to dilly dally now, kids!" I snapped to attention from my thoughts when All Might presented a card for everyone to see. "Today's lesson of Hero Basic Training is battle training!"

I blinked.

 _'We're actually doing this?'_ I felt the entire classroom become more excited at the prospect of dipping their hands into some action. _'Isn't it too soon?'_

All Might pressed a random button from the podium desk, and a wall near the corner of the classroom slid open to reveal rows of cases with bold numbers printed on the surface. By now, half of the energetic brats were on their feet, growing restless and eager to get the class started for their first battle stimulation. That was until karate boy commanded for everyone to return to their seats and wait for All Might finish his introduction speech. There was some protest but they did as they were told, flopping back to their designated seats.

My eyes trailed down to where my backpack sat.

I guess it was time to break out the masks.

...

The locker room was buzzing with energy.

With most of the guys gushing over the costumes they were pulling out of their assigned cases, I brought my backpack with me to unzip and pull out the clothes handed to me by Taishirō. My robust cousin warned me just because it was a few sizes smaller didn't automatically mean it would fit right on me. It was obvious he wanted to say more, probably convince me to see if there was a way the school could find someone who wasn't totally bias that could work on my hero costume, but after hearing from All Might how many teachers were against my entry to the school and dealing with Aizawa, I wasn't all that enthusiastic in asking around.

I could have just as easily gone to All Might, but he had done so much for my sake that it wouldn't feel right to keep demanding for help every single time. One for All was one issue, but everything else was something I had to take care of myself.

"Excuse me, Sengoku-san," I paused from unbuckling my belt to begin my stripping. Karate boy was looking at my backpack and hero costume with a critical eye. "Is that registered in the school's forms? I noticed you didn't get up to take a costume case from the class."

I hesitated. "Um..."

Giving a quick glance to the rest of the guys too engrossed in changing their uniforms for the costumes the Department of Support given them, I leaned closer to karate boy who also closed the gap between us so he could hear my excuse without garnering the attention of the others in case they got curious.

"It's not because I think they can't do it. I know support departments do their best to make the costumes because of the difficult times they're forced to make do with," I explained to him in a low tone. "It's just... I don't think they'll try because—"

"Because it's you," karate boy concluded, his astonishment clear in his coral red hues. "You're afraid they'll purposely sabotage it."

A weak shrug was all I could give him in reply.

With an air of understanding to my dilemma, karate boy then gave my costume another once over.

"I could ask around in the Support Studio if there's anyone willing to take on a small side project. I heard from a reliable source the students of those classes would be open to creating prototype costumes that originated from the first costume's design as extra credit."

"What?" I stupidly responded, taken aback by karate boy's generosity.

Immediately, I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. Nobody was that _generous_.

"Why would you do that?" I questioned him. What was karate's boy angle here?

"Because it's important for every student aiming to become a hero to be prepared with whatever we have available," karate boy replied without skipping a beat, either oblivious of the interrogation or ignoring it altogether. "And given from what I've heard, you will probably need some protective gear with your costume. This doesn't look to have anything else."

He gestured to the pile of clothes and boots.

" _Given what you heard_?" I mouthed, perplexed by his wording.

Karate boy pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "Well, yes. An associate of my brother from the agency they work together at had been at the scene when Jakku was set ablaze. He saw what happened to you after you saved the girl who was afflicted with the Trigger drug."

He wasn't lying. Heart steady, every word coming out of his mouth was the truth.

"Oh."

"Hey guys, hurry up and change! All Might said we gotta be at Ground Beta!" lightning boy, dressed in what consisted of a simple attire of black pants and jacket with a plain white shirt, was already heading out the door.

"No running down the halls!" karate boy admonished the blond who took off.

"We better hurry." I muttered.

"Right," karate boy agreed. "We'll discuss the issue after class."

"... thanks." I said quietly at his retreating back.

With everyone already dressed and heading out, I was the last one to finish changing into my hero costume. There was a mirror in the locker room and I couldn't help but observe the reflection.

I looked like a little kid trying to imitate the hero Fat Gum. Better yet, I looked like All Might in his twig form dressed in his usually baggy attire. Even with the adjustment made to the costume, it was still a few sizes too big for me.

"Better go now or I'll be really late for class." I muttered to myself.

Still inside the school, I jogged down the hallway in order to catch up with the rest of my classmates. Still wearing the indoor slippers, I hurried towards the nearest exit of the school so I could ditch the shoes and pull on my boots and hurry after everyone.

Black coffee beans and cats bleeped ominously on my radar.

I almost slowed down, hesitant to come across Aizawa, but I didn't want to go around the building just so I could avoid him, that was a waste of time and I really needed to meet with the others at Ground Beta for the hero training stuff. With a shaky inhale of the lungs, I kept my eyes straight forward and power walked towards the nearest staircase, hopefully the ink-haired teacher would pretend I didn't exist and we'd both pass each other like we were in different plains of existence.

Hearing footsteps come around the corner, I braced myself.

"—idnight said she didn't know if she could schedule an interview so soon—"

P͖̖̰͕̤̠̿̑̔̏̐̒͆͛̚͟l̶̙̜͖̗̭͙̥͉̲̍̊̓̏̐͟ė̴̫̱͙̻͎̣̩͈͒͌̃͌͒̓͋̍a͓̩̞̼͎̝̎̋̒̓͗s̢͚͚͚̘̱͇̮̘̱͋̒̎̂̄ę̵̗̝̖̬̲͕̎̑̃́̚̚͡ͅ,̧̧͖͍͓̣͚̠̙͐̔́̍̑̈̓̚̚͝ s͕͇̫͉̯̈͆̾̇͑͠ơ͈͈͔̫̞̪̒̎̇͂͒̏͟͢͠͡m̨̞̪̠͎̖͍̣̉̽̇̓̀́̚͟ȇ̴̩̤͎͍̺͚̠̝̔̐́̇̎̚͜b̸̨̛̬̼̣̰̪̍̿͛͒̿o̳̹̱̭̺̺̜͍̔͌̄̉͠ͅḓ̛̦̯͍͈̥͈͍͈̾̾̔̅̈́͒̇͜ẏ̡̢̻̝͖͇̮̥̀́̆̀͟͢͞͞!̴̡͙̲̳̝̖͛̀̿́̈͡͝

I bolted past the duo turning the corner.

With my heart frantically beating drums in my ears, I was too distracted to catch the sound of rustling fabric until I found myself face-planting on the floor. The heavy breathing came wheezing out from the hard fall, and my boots toppled a few feet from my position when my arms had scrambled to catch myself.

"No running in the hallways, Sengoku."

Pushing myself up from the floor with my elbows, I looked over my shoulder to find my legs trapped by white wraps which were oddly strong and a bit heavy to be ordinary cloth. Following the strands, it led my gaze back to its original source: Aizawa.

"Oi, oi, that was mean Eraserhead!"

Unwillingly, I glanced at the other man.

And went stock still.

You would think when first coming across someone like Present Mic, you would immediately notice a few things about him; the first thing people obviously took note of was his appearance: all heavy metal and black leather decorated by the multiple buckles and straps crossing his costume, and then there was his hairdo done up like a flamboyant cockatoo. The second thing people noticed about Present Mic was his voice because every verbal sound coming out of the blond's mouth was like someone accidentally leaving their car stereo on high volume before they turned off the vehicle, leaving the driver an unpleasant surprise upon the next car trip.

Yet the only thing I could stare at was the unmistakably angry, twisted red mark decorating the skin of his throat, stretched from the underside of his jaw to the collar bone. He wasn't wearing his gear, the stereo-looking instrument he used to control the high and low of his powerful vocal chords. His neck was left bare for the world to see the hideous scar he sported. Jesus Christ, he looked like somebody who's had his throat sliced open—

Aizawa suddenly stepped in front of me, blocking Present Mic from my blatant staring.

"Stop gawking like an idiot and get to class." Aizawa icily commanded.

Noticing that I was no longer trapped by the bindings of the cloth he disguised as his scarf, I awkwardly clambered back to my feet and grabbed my boots. Aizawa's angry glare pierced the back of my neck and I couldn't help but hunch a little to hide it. When they thought I was far away enough, I heard Present Mic's voice again.

"Not cool, Shōta."

Judging by the familiar way Present Mic addressed his dark companion and how menacing Aizawa reacted when he saw me blatantly staring at the other's scars, it was obvious that the two of them were close. In fact, now that I was closer, I could detect traces of Aizawa's scent on the blond, as well as Present Mic's new leather aroma on the scruffy teacher.

The actions of the Gunnarsens was the main reason why the mortality rate in the hero industry was so high in Japan. Outside of the media tarnishing us along with the blind sheep who followed their words like it was the gospel truth, it was the families and friends of the victims that continued the cycle of hatred.

Now I understood why my homeroom teacher hated me so much, I thought despondently.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

It didn't take me long to catch up with my classmates thanks to my speed and sensitive nose. Soon enough, I caught a glimpse of their figures in the distance which became shapes the closer I came.

They were heading inside a shadowed entrance in one of the fake city blocks.

Hastening my pace, I was glad I was tall because it meant my long legs could cover great distances in a few short jogs. It wasn't long when I made it through the entrance where there was a bright light waiting for me on the other end of the dark tunnel. _Hah_ , I wanted to laugh, if only people knew the truth of what really happened beyond death. It was complicated and downright confusion.

I mean, how the fuck did a baseball to the face send me into a dimension I've only ever seen from the pages of a manga?

"They say that clothes make the Pro's young ladies and gentlemen, and behold you are the proof!" All Might boomed from ahead. "As of now from this moment forward, you are all heroes in training!"

Skidding to a halt behind the class, I took in every student and their costumes.

Eyeing Bakugō, he was attire was dark with a few orange highlights that matched his combat steel-toed boots. There was a sleek black gauntlet wrapped around each arm reaching all the way until it disappeared into the sleeveless top. His gloves stuck out of the black gauntlets, matching the combat boots with tiny pieces of metal to amplify the power of his punches outside of his explosions. The ash blond also sported a mask which flared up at the back of his head. On his utility belt, I spotted a few tiny grenades.

Next, I found Uraraka in a black and pale pink skin tight catsuit which hugged her curvy figure. Over her head was a pink-shaded eye-shield which covered the upper half of her face. The most noticeable feature was her puffy white knee-high boots. Her costume made me think she was half a marshmallow snack or something. Nearby, the bird guy I raced against yesterday wore a simple black coat with a tattered edge, and it revealed nothing beyond his head and black boots.

The tentacle-armed guy who could be Kakashi's long lost brother wore a simple attire of a blue-gray and dark plum purple. The material stretched over to cover the lower half of his face, making it harder to reveal the purpose of his costume. He looked simple and barren, something that must have been the intention all along in the costume design. The grape-haired midget meanwhile looked like a toddler still waddling around in his diapers. He sported a yellow cape with matching gloves and boots. The girl with the long ears looked like she could be lighting boy's Wonder Twin with her punk rock getup.

There was a double-take when I caught sight of Yaoyozoru's costume... or what little of it there was. You would think with the way she acted, all sophisticated and perfectly polished, the last thing she would be wearing was something that showcased her skin as much as she was allowed to get away with. She looked between the mix of an Olympic gymnast and Baywatch lifeguard babe in her revealing red leotard.

There was the next biggest guy of the class besides the tentacle Kakashi and the quiet blockhead. He wore a simple yellow suit that covered everything except his eyes, mouth, nose, and the back of his head. He had white gloves, boots, and a utility belt strapped around the waist of his costume (I could smell sweets in there). Blockhead wore a red and yellow jumpsuit and matching sneakers, all of it simple with no purpose but to show he was in the hero occupation.

The spiky redhead left his torso exposed with only two bulky-looking shoulder pads strapped to him, dark baggy pants and a dark red tattered cape wrapped around his waist. There was also some sort of black jawguard strapped to his face and head, like a BDSM muzzle of sorts. A lot of these kids were pretty creative with their costumes, I thought.

I almost missed the floating gloves and boots.

 _'Does that mean she's naked?'_

Wow.

The girl with the long green hair was wearing a simple green body suit that also hugged her figure. Sitting atop her head were heavy-looking binoculars, its appearance reminiscent of the Navy SEAL's. Actually, now that I was properly observing her, with the girl's unchanged facial expression and hunched form, not to mention the big hands and feet, her quirk was obviously of the amphibious sort.

The pink alien chick wore something that made me think of the late 80's and early 90's rainbow tie dye shirts, a short, sleeveless jacket that had a fur collar, and a white mask.

The blond guy with the muscular tail looked like he was wearing a typical white karate uniform people in the martial arts school usually wore, but the only difference was the fure collar added to the neckline of his shirt. Next to him was a lanky-looking dude with a tinted helmet and bulky elbows. His costume was skin tight with white boots and orange shoulder pads which looked reminiscent to those Japanese magatama jewels. For some odd reason, his costume reminded me a bit like Spider-Man's.

There was the half-French boy who wore a costume like he was a glittering knight in shining armor, a dazzling cape to match, and an eye-shield I thought might've been stolen off the set of Gurren Lagann. And in front of the twinkling teen was another armored individual, looking bulky with engine exhaust pipes sticking out from beneath his arms. His legs looked even heavily armored, and more exhaust pipes attached to it as well.

It had to be the karate boy.

Todoroki meanwhile was dressed in a white attire with half his body covered in ice.

"You all look so _cool_ ~!" All Might grinned. "Shall we get started, you bunch of newbies?"

I picked at my costume, watching how it easily fell with my pants threatening to fall if not for the belt I was wearing to keep it up. The sleeves of my orange jacket so long I hack to push it up a few times to keep it around my arms.

God, I couldn't wait for this class to be over and done with. I was more than willing to take karate boy's offer so I could get Taishirō's old high school costume fitted to match my size.

"What the fuck is that?" Bakugō's condescending tone reached me. "You suppose to be the second coming of Fat Gum, crybaby?"

"Fuck off, _Baka_ gō." I glowered at the ash blond prat.

I didn't need to hear his unnecessary commentary on how silly I looked with my cousin's old costume that even _All Might_ himself was giving me a double-take. It took a lot of effort in keeping the red flush of embarrassment from spreading out of the collar of my neck and up to my cheeks and the tip of my ears. The ill-tempered teen opened his mouth to retaliate, but thanks to All Might, he was interrupted before it could escalate into a verbal tennis match.

"Now that you are all ready, it's time we start our combat training!"

"Excuse me, sir!" the karate boy raised his hand. "Given the location we are in, does this combat training involve us going through a battle simulation similar to the practical exams most of us underwent?"

"Not quite! Let me explain, young Iida." All Might replied. "It's a common thing to see villains attacking during broad daylight, but statistically speaking, it's the indoor fighting that takes place the most. Drug deals, hostage situations, secret weapons manufacturing establishments, trafficking, criminal hideouts, the works. The most devious of villains are the ones who hide in the shadows, taking advantage of the oblivious and unaware."

All Might didn't have to tell me twice. Shady shit happened all the time behind the scenes when the population pretended to be happy and carefree of whatever worries because they believed the heroes would always save the day. Given the somewhat intrigued and surprised looks on several of my classmates faces, they weren't truly sensitive to the dark side of their world as they ought to have been.

"Now, for this exercise, we'll be splitting between two groups that will act as the villains and heroes of this scenario. This'll be a two-on-two battle!"

 _'Crap,'_ I hissed internally. _'Who's willing to work with me beside karate boy and Uraraka?'_

I really, _really_ wanted to get this class done and over with since there was no way I was going to be the lucky lottery winner who ended up getting paired with a friendly face. There was no doubt in my mind it was going to be someone who was going to be all passive-aggressive, clash with me on what direction of the plan we'd follow through, and ultimately lead us to failure by the end of it because they couldn't get their head out of their ass to help me with whatever scenario we were forced to face together.

"Isn't this a little rushed?" the green-haired girl asked.

"Experience is the best teacher!" All Might beamed.

God, he really sucked at this teaching job. Though, given what happened last night at the beach, I was willing to gloss that sad fact over and try not to give him any more shit about it because in the end, he really was trying. _Kind of_.

"But you must remember, you'll be against real live people rather than going against robots!"

Almost simultaneously, some of the students started to dart question after question about how this class session would be conducted: what determined a win and loss? How far did we get to go all out on the opponents (Bakugō)? Would anyone be threatened with expulsion? How would people be paired up? And did their cape look stylish—?

I glared at the back of the twinkling blond's head.

"Hold on! Let me finish explaining this, please!" All Might floundered a little. Shouldn't he be used to people asking rapid fire questions as him? That's basically what every excited reporter did whenever they were lucky to catch up with the Pro hero.

Revealing something small that had been hidden away within his large hands, I almost snorted when All Might began to read out loud of whatever was written down on the piece of paper. He was explaining the battle stimulation everyone would be doing. Two villains would be holed up in a building with a nuclear weapon while the heroes would enter to either subdue them or capture the weapon. There was going to be a fifteen minute time limit, so if time ran out then the villains won, or if the villains subdued the heroes, that was also a win for them.

"To determine on who you're partnered with, you'll be drawing lots from this box here!" All Might pulled up a cardboard cube with a hole cut out in the top of the box.

"Seriously?" the redhead stared at item dubiously.

"Heroes from different agencies will sometimes band together in order to reach the same goal they're striving for. It's not an uncommon occurrence." Yaoyorozu spoke like she was reciting the words from a hero text book.

"Oh, cool." the redhead grinned then apologized to All Might.

"Don't sweat it, kid! Now let's draw!"

One-by-one, everyone pulled out a ball with bold letters written on their bouncy surface. Once there wasn't much of a crowd, I made my way towards All Might and hrabbed whatever letter I ended up with. Pulling up the round object, the letter "G" was what I got.

"Alright then," All Might revealed another hidden item from his cape, quickly tapping the surface before pressing one last button which gave a holographic projection from the tablet so everyone could see. "Now find the person who you've been paired with!"

Team A: Asui and Ashido

Team B: Uraraka and Kaminari

Team C: Iida and Aoyama

Team D: Kirishima and Tokoyami

Team E: Ojiro and Jirō

Team F: Sero and Satō

Team G: Yaoyorozu and Sengoku

Team H: Mineta and Hagakure

Team I: Shōji and Kōda

Team J: Todoroki and Bakugō

Great, I huffed, I was stuck with the fucking princess. Feeling an intense tingling at the side of my head, I glanced over to find said princess observing me with a stony expression. Clenching my jaw in irritation, I forced myself to look away from her rather than glare murderously at her direction. Yaoyorozu was just another stupid sheep in the flock who diligently followed her shepard like the good little stupid white sheep she was. Whatever, she can take her judgement and shove it up her ass, it would be on her if we failed just because she refused to work with me—

"Listen," I whipped my head to find Yaoyorozu approaching me. "You obviously don't like the cards you've been dealt with, but let's try to cooperate until class is over. Do you think you can you manage that?"

What a fucking little miss congeniality, I sneered.

"Can you?" I shot back, tone absolutely venomous to show I didn't appreciate her attitude.

Her stoic frame became more hardened. I eyed her, silently daring her to say something else because just like everyone of those bitter and angry people, she wanted to spill all the filth hiding behind her clenched teeth, to let all her thoughts and feelings out when the target of her frustrations was standing right in front of her. However, since we were surrounded by classmates and a watchful teacher, she'd probably wait until we were alone in a more private setting without the fear of being overheard before she could truly lay it out on me.

"Now let's see who you'll be up against!" All Might announced, pulling up two boxes.

Team H: Mineta and Hagakure (Villains) Team B: Uraraka and Kaminari (Heroes)

Team C: Iida and Aoyama (Heroes) vs. Team F: Sero and Satō (Villains)

Team I: Shōji and Kōda (Heroes) vs. Team D: Kirishima and Tokoyami (Villains)

Team A: Asui and Ashido (Heroes) vs. Team E: Ojiro and Jirō (Villains)

" _Fuck_." I whispered under my breath.

I wanted to say the system was rigged, but I saw All Might pull the bouncy balls from the two boxes before it finally came to my letter and the letter of our chosen opponent of this battle stimulation.

Of all the people I could have been up against since there was so many of us—LITERALLY TWENTY STUDENTS—this was still the result I ended up with. Well, goddamn! Life really liked to spring some nasty surprises on my unsuspecting sorry ass.

Team G: Yaoyorozu and Sengoku (Villains) vs. Team J: Todoroki and Bakugō (Heroes)

* * *

I drew a picture of Kuzan in the Fat Gum costume in my deviantart page ( ** _Mutt99_** ), you guys can check it out if ya'll want!

Kazan means "Volcano", by the way. Kinda makes me wish I named him for his temper, but that would go against the nature of his character. I don't know if the translation is right, but Kuzan means "Nine Mountains" (according to the One Piece wiki trivia). Just me following the theme of numbers in the carriers of One for All.


	15. Chapter II: The Misdirection

**A/N:** Hey guys, let me tell you something that happened after I released chapter 14 of the story so you don't end up like this particular author I'm going to tell you all about. Like, at first I was surprised but the more I read it the more it kind of made me raise a brow because this dude, a self-proclaimed asshole (he literally wrote this on his personal page), who was complaining about the society vs Kuzan deal, gave up after leaving behind a ranting review. He raged quit after I simply told him he should stop reading it because this story wasn't his type (I peeked at his own stories and they all seemed to scream dudes with edgy, self-righteous causes, something of which he got after me for with Kuzan when in reality I never intended him to be that sort of person. I intended for Kuzan to be actually a troubled individual with a situation I won't reveal until *spoil alert* the Kamino Ward Arc).

Anyway, the dude rage quit after I pointed out several facts he didn't seem to want to acknowledge in the story. Was he expecting Kuzan to be overly confident, full of aggressive dominance, and self-righteousness on his quest to becoming a hero? I'll never know the answer. All I've created was a character who has low self-esteem, suffers bouts of depression, a cynical view of the society he's immersed in, and is socially awkward with strangers due to mob mentality people have concerning him and his family. Methinks this guy has been spending WAY too much time around fics where the story is about instant retaliation for things done wrong to said character, how smug and confident they are, and how highly powerful they are because of genes, magic, or whatever bullshit skill they got. You know, the ridiculous OP character in almost every story this guy most likely reads (with the occasional side dish of harem girls)?

All Might is powerful and he knows it, but he doesn't actually flaunt it, he's a grounded character who has some faults and struggles, and that's why everyone loves him. So why do people automatically expect the character to become cool and hardcore when they have power? Didn't Naruto struggle first? Wasn't Gohan reluctant in his role to fight until his father and Piccolo pushed him to release his inner Saiyan to protect the world? Didn't anyone have a rough start until their confidence grew the more experiences they gained from whatever obstacle life had throw at them?

Maybe it's because I've been reading some mature content that are like character studies often explaining why people are sometimes riddled with PTSD with the emotional issues they were forced to face so suddenly and often times without warning. That's the only explanation I can think of on why ** _0 Jordinio 0_** wasn't all on board of this direction of the story. I remembered a lot of people jokingly referring to Cloud Strife as the dark, edgy emo when Advent Children was released to the public as a story on what happened after the events of Final Fantasy VII.

And why wouldn't Cloud turn out that way? He lived a lie, watched his hometown get burned to the ground with his family dying at the hands of the guy he admired, got experimented on by some whack job scientist, watched his best friend get killed before losing his shit and creating a delusion that he was a 1st class SOLDIER, watched more people get killed, watched someone he cared about get killed by the very same person who destroyed his life, discovered the horrifying truth that he was just a grunt soldier and not some all powerful man, fell into a vegetative state, had to confront his past, and then forced himself to fight the enemy one last time before slowly fading away as the years went by and he had nothing to do but think about what happened during the events which led him to where he was now. The irony was that Cloud joined the Shinra Company to become a hero, and now that he is, he looks back and regrets everything. Nobody would be okay if they went through that much trauma and grief.

So why would Kuzan, the guy accused of being a edgy emo with too much angst for **_0 Jordinio 0_** to handle, not turn out like that? Why would anyone be okay when they lost a friend? Why would anyone feel confident after years of being told they weren't worth the trouble of losing so much? How does a normal person function for the backlash they've been forced to live with for simply being related to the person responsible for the death of thousands and the halt in society's progression?

I can't _comprehend_ how in the world this guy missed all that, it truly boggled my mind when I read his tantrum rant. But I suppose he really was too busy lamenting over Kuzan's updated hero costume.

I think a lot of people ought to do some reading when it comes to learning about the real life issues of people's mental states before they come here with ridiculous reasons on why they think this story is bogus because of the main character's lack of OPness. This guy wasn't into serious issues and when I called him out, he resorted to childish name-calling (no seriously, go look at his review (and his other ones) before skedaddling on out.

To the reviews!

 ** _SHIPPINGGuest_** _& _**_ReadingnerdOtaku,_** Oh wow, did I actually make a shipping reference without meaning to? *Goes back and reads the chapter* Do you guys think that's how the whole tsundere relationship starts? The girl has an obvious issue but later over time she sees he's a good guy yet from the mistake of going after him, she feels too proud to apologize and thus continues to act like he's a stain under her shoe? Lol, anyway, we'll see how their relationship turns out in the future.

 _ **Paul Garros,** _This is obviously a trap! I AIN'T FALLING FOR IT, _YOU DAMN_ _SNAKE_!

 ** _TRASHKIING,_** I know it's tough but this story is all about "Things get progressively worse and terrifying and angsty before they slowly get better with time and effort". But don't worry, those doses of fluff, humor, and some bits of happiness will pop up now and then, I promise! And thanks for the typo thing. I appreciate it when people inform me of the typos so I can go back and tweak it.

 _ **Beanieninja1,** _I was kind of worried in the beginning about the whole world building business, but it turns out that a lot of people think that it's great. Sometimes I see stuff that would leave me scratching my head, so I fill in some of the little plot holes the manga/anime doesn't exactly cover over properly with my own ideas (and tiny headcanons). I also do some critical thinking when it comes to the actions of people, as in "what the hell were they thinking?" when they do things that kind of leave me confounded.

 _ **JohnnyHandsome,** _I actually left a few certain subjects untouched because they'll be revealed in the later chapters of the story. And don't worry, no shame in not liking the first few chapters because they seemed boring; I used those chapters as a way to do some explaining, world building, character interactions, and some little stuff before we started moving into the exciting/heavy shit/plot of the entire story. Thanks for giving this story a chance and for the support, I appreciate your review. :)

 ** _Goldey,_** You've joined at your own risk. Prepare for the hurt *recedes back to the Dark Place*.

 ** _MONEYGuest,_** I would use that money to feed myself *makes grabby hands* _FEEED ME_ ~!

 ** _INTERESTINGGuest,_** Let's put your theory to the test and see how that pans out, yes?

 _ **He Who Listens,** _Miss is alright, but I dunno if you're referring to me or that dude below your review.

 ** _HYPEGuest,_** Dude, this chapter is all about meeting the hype! Enjoy!

 ** _Reversus12,_** Yeah, I drew a pic of it in my deviantart page, but sadly it's like a one time thing because he'll be getting an updated version of the costume.

 ** _Lightsbane1905,_** *Inhales. Exhales* Keep Calm and Carry On, I had a glass mug I would drink from when I'm in the mood for iced tea. Wanna know what happened to it? SOMEBODY BROKE IT! Hah hah, sorry, I think the long hours at work made me snippy and I was kind of venting when I released the chapter. Sorry 'bout that.

 ** _errydaymPurple,_** The best way to assert dominance is by assuming the T-pose while cornering the threat until they cower in submission. I have no muscles to flex and therefore must confer to the T-pose. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

 _ **FearMeHorror,** _That day might arrive, my friend. It might not be now, but it will come. Be prepared.

 _ **SansaFort,** _I wouldn't say this story is genius, more like trying a different approach that no one (?) in this side of the fandom ever thought of, but I appreciate the praise none the less. :)

 ** _Prince,_** To me, there's a hell of a difference between those who were left alone and those who were deeply impacted (or involved with someone who was affected) by the recession in the hero and tech industries. Like, Noctis' younger sister had problems with her hearing and that was it, but Aizawa almost lost his closest friend and it's been haunting him ever since. I won't reveal too much because I plan to write it down in the side-story series, but I'll just say the experience was intense and it leaves Aizawa going tunnel vision whenever anything involved with the Gunnarsens is mentioned in his presence. I ain't excusing him but I ain't totally faulting him for it. I mean, I'm pretty sure you and I (and everyone else) went through an experience where someone we know/loved got hurt and we blamed it on the source even knowing it was a total accident, right?

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter II: Part V**

 **.**

* * *

After the rules were explained and several questions were answered by the instructor, All Might directed the class to head towards the building where we would be observing the fight from a safe distance. With everyone else going ahead, the Pro hero led the two teams to a chosen destination where they would be duking it out with each other.

The monitor room came to life the moment we stepped inside. A large holographic screen lit up and displayed multiple camera angles locked on the students playing the villains and heroes. Once everyone got settled in, All Might gave the two teams a stern warning not to seriously hurt one another or else he would step in and stop the fight altogether, leaving both teams the losers. Since All Might's comms was connected to the monitor room where we all waiting, the warning obviously extended to the rest of us.

Not long after, the muscular giant joined the rest of the class while tapping his Bluetooth-like device tucked inside one of his ears.

"You guys ready?"

Grape boy in his diaper costume (Mineta) and the naked invisible girl (Hagakure) stood by the fake nuclear warhead. Mineta seemed distracted but he none the less gave a thumbs up to show he was ready. Down below at the building's entrance, Uraraka and the lightning boy (Kaminari) gave a nod to confirm that they were prepared to get this show on the road.

"Alright Team H and Team B, show us you've got what it takes to be heroes!" All Might hollered as he whipped his tablet out. "Or villains! _LET'S GET IT ON_!"

 _'Someone's been watching too much WrestleMania.'_ I thought as I raised a brow towards the back of All Might's head.

My gaze fell on the tablet All Might held in his large hand, a digital pen hovering over the flat surface in preparation to jot down whatever he was suppose to be writing. Was he taking notes? Did the teacher grade you on how well you performed to get to the goal or how students reacted under pressure? Personally, I thought this whole bomb scenario was a bit too simple because there was so many other factors to consider when dealing with a threat this drastic.

Or maybe, I thought as my eyes wandered around the dark room illuminated by the bright observation screen, there was more to this exercise than simply watching two teams beat the shit out of each other with their quirks.

A distant siren went off.

Uraraka, the small teen who had stood beside her partner Kaminari, both of them appearing to make easy easy acquaintances with one another, charged inside the building's main entrance without hesitation.

Realization struck me.

"Strike one." I muttered under my breath.

For the "villain" team, the midget Mineta simply stood by the dummy nuclear warhead while watching the invisible girl strip out of her boots and gloves to blend herself complete with the silent surroundings.

"Strike two." I counted.

Back to the "heroes", Kaminari was leading the way with Uraraka trailing behind him. The lightning boy was walking in a calm manner, his mouth moving and arms making animated motions as he led the way further inside the building towards the closest staircase. Uraraka was nodding along, smiling and laughing at her partner with mirth in her caramel coated orbs.

"Strike three."

"What are you keeping count for?"

Not expecting someone to chat with me (karate boy was in the front of the group next to All Might, eyes dutifully trained on the screen), I looked towards the direction from where the voice came from and found myself staring down at the pink alien chick in the neon purple and blue tie dye costume. She was eyeing me with curiosity. Shaking off my surprise, I returned my attention on the observation screen.

"I'm counting the mistakes they're making." I replied.

"Mistakes?" the wild-haired teen squinted at the screen. "What mistakes? They all seem to be doing pretty okay to me."

I pursed my lips. Was the pinkette really that oblivious to what was going on?

"No, he's right." Yaoyorozu pitched in from her spot. "There's plenty of mistakes from both sides."

Back to the screen, the blond who had been too busy talking suddenly doubled over, startling Uraraka. Kaminari clutched at his mid-section but then fell forward like something had shoved him hard to the ground face first. Uraraka went on the defensive, frantically looking around with her arms raised in preparation to defend herself against the invisible Hagakure.

"Four."

One of Uraraka's arms was captured, pulling it from her poor defensive position. The yanking of the arm forced her to follow until she too joined Kaminari on the floor. I almost winced in sympathy for the brunette girl. Uraraka tried to get up, but she fell back again for what I assumed was Hagakure pushing her back down on the ground. An electric outlet with a cord was yanked and it was quickly wrapped around Uraraka's wrists and legs.

"This is a disaster to watch," somebody mumbled inside the crowd. "I almost feel bad."

Lightning boy stumbled back to his feet, probably yelling something out loud given how wide his mouth was flapping. And then without pause, he ran the other direction away from Uraraka.

"Dude!" the redhead with the jawguard scowled at the screen. "Leaving his partner behind?! Not manly at all!"

While I was inclined to agree, I kept my mouth shut because there was the chance that Kaminari was planning something. When he was far enough from Uraraka's position, the blond skidded to a halt and waited for the invisible girl. Unless he had great hearing or a sensitive nose (or both), he had no way of knowing if Hagakure had followed him. For all we knew, she could have simply left him to his own devices and returned to Mineta.

"The hell is that doofus waiting for?"

And then the screen went bright by the yellow sparks dancing around haphazardly as if without direction, causing the camera to frizz a little due to it being effected by the surge of electrical output the lightning idiot was dispensing from his own body. Once the camera returned to focus after a few seconds, Kaminari was found stumbling around the hall with a stupid look on his face. Uraraka remained where she was, unable to free herself from the bindings Hagakure put her in.

With the brunette captured and the lightning boy seemingly devoid of thought, the fight was as good as over.

"Five."

I glanced back at the other screen where Mineta was still standing next to the nuclear warhead, too busy drooling over the invisible girl's boots and gloves.

"Six."

And the battle trial was over.

...

"Yay," went Kaminari.

The idiot was still sporting his ridiculous expression while giving thumbs up. Beside him, Uraraka was standing next to her partner since she had acted as the fool's guide back to the monitor room. Sitting in a medical cot, there sat the invisible Hagakure. Kaminari had indeed caught the girl in his range when he led her away from Uraraka to take his opponent on by himself. Mineta meanwhile was standing off to the side like some background decoration.

"Alright, it's time to review this battle!" All Might boomed as he stood in the middle of the lit room, his stance akimbo. "Does anyone want to go first?"

I ducked my head when his shadowed gaze fell on me; clearly I wasn't being quiet enough with the counting of the mistakes I spotted on the screen. Thankfully, All Might didn't call me out and moved on with scanning the room for anyone who wanted to explain to the people who had yet to catch on to the second purpose of this battle simulation exercise we were conducting.

Not to anyone's surprise, Yaoyorozu was the one to step up to the plate and list several reasons why the fight between the two teams was done in a horrible fashion. With All Might giving Yaoyorozu the floor, the dark-haired girl began her criticism.

"The first mistake goes to the hero team," Yaoyorozu stated. "They entered the building with no strategy on how to reach the goal. Would a hero actually make their entrance obvious? Of course not. The action which they took would alert the villains of their presence thus destroying any chances they had of ambushing or quickly retrieving the weapon."

Uraraka's shoulders sagged as she took the tall girl's words while Kaminari gave another thumbs up and a dull "yay".

"The second goes to the villains," the tall girl fixed her gaze on Mineta. "While your partner was away to deal with the heroes, you did absolutely nothing to protect the weapon."

"But I didn't need to!" the midget argued. "Hagakure said she could take on the heroes by herself! She only told me to look after the weapon!"

"Yes, she did. She probably thought to trust you to barricade the door—which you didn't. Your partner was also taken down by Kaminari's electrical quirk, and had there not been a time limit, he would have recovered from his short circuiting, freed Uraraka, and then both of them would have come after you. So pray tell, what would you have done?"

Mineta went quiet after that. The dark-haired girl moved on and returned her attention back to the hero duo. Kaminari seemed to be coming back from whatever the hell he was going through, and his dumb face was slowly composing itself back to normal. I was kind of glad because his weird expression made me feel a bit of secondhand embarrassment for him.

"Another mistake the heroes made was how easily distracted they were. Kaminari and Uraraka weren't take precautions when they went inside the building. They didn't check corners, they weren't concentrating on the task, and they were too busy chatting with one another that it resulted in them being caught unaware of Hagakure's sneak attack."

Both lightning boy and the brunette winced.

"The next mistake was how out of depth the heroes were when it came to hand-to-hand combat. No previous combat and self-defense experience to keep the hero team up on their feet against one enemy. Had they worked together properly, they might've had a chance to take on Hagakure together," the dark-haired girl rested her hands on her hips, coal eyes piercing straight through the two teams. "And there was the issue of Kaminari overusing his quirk; his offense was grossly misused and it costed him dearly. While it's true he successfully overpowered his opponent, it rendered him useless therefore he was unable to return to his partner's side and offer her aid."

By now, Kaminari, Uraraka, and Mineta were staring hard at the ground with their heads bowed. I knew from experience how humiliating it felt to be openly criticized with an audience watching them as if they were fascinating carnival freaks. But it also served as a motivation for them not to make the same mistake twice if they ever wanted to avoid another round of humiliation.

"Again, Mineta did absolutely nothing. He didn't keep in touch with his partner and he was left oblivious of the entire situation. The villains may have technically won this round, but every one of them needs to work out these issues I've listed so far, or otherwise this could be detrimental to their future careers as heroes." Yoayorozu finally concluded her criticism.

With the tall girl putting an end to her long list of faults in each teams performances, we all returned our attention All Might. He looked like he was trying to hide how intimidated he felt in the face of Yaoyorozu's nit-picking, not expecting a kid like her to be so thorough with her assessment with the entire battle. Which, to be honest, was kind of stupid because it was kind of crystal clear to the rest of us how poorly that battle went.

Kids were dumb but they weren't stupid.

"And our VIP goes to Hagakure Tōru!" All Might proudly announced. "Does anyone know why?"

"Because she did all the work?" the amphibious girl wondered out loud.

"Because Hagakure treated the battle simulation as if it was a real life scenario. She was the only one who took the lead and acted accordingly." Yaoyorozu readily answered.

The whole class looked impressed with Yaoyorozu. She was intelligent, resourceful, sophisticated, confidant, and professional, characteristics which I thought were kind of similar to karate boy's (without the excessive arm chopping). Their speech patterns, proper etiquette, and the way they each tried to direct the class into the right path said as much about their home lifestyle. It was pretty clear that the two of them came straight out of those fancy prep schools where only the elite and smartest kids could attend. I wouldn't be shocked to find out if the two of them had been former class representatives during their time in middle school).

"No wonder she got special recommendations."

"She's pretty dope."

"At least I know what not to do in these situations."

"She noticed their mistakes step-by-step. She's got a good eye to spot them so easily."

I saw Yaoyorozu and the pinkette glance my way, but I ducked my head in favor of eyeing the invisible girl on the medical cot. "Shouldn't someone take Hagakure to the nurse's office?"

"I think I'm okay," the unseen teen said as her boots swung off the cot. "Besides, this is something I don't want to miss!"

"Um, you can lean on me for support in case you don't feel good." Uaraka offered the girl.

"Thanks!"

"Remember to visit the nurse's office afterwards, young Hagakure!" All Might said before turning his attention to the rest of us. "That goes for all of you! Don't force yourselves to stick around. You can look back to these reviews with your homeroom teacher Aizawa to go over what happened and how you can improve your techniques, understood?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good! Now let's continue with the battle simulation," All Might pulled up his tablet again. "Team C and Team F, you're up!"

Karate boy and the sparkling blond (Aoyama), along with the Spider-Man wannabe and the huge guy in the yellow costume, stepped out of the monitor room where All Might directed their new location from a map on the tablet.

"I, Iida Tenya, will hope that my battle trial will bring as much inspiration as my peers from the first round have!" karate boy declared, his voice slightly muffled behind his helmet.

" _Oui_! Let us give a dazzling performance for our audience." Aoyama winked at his classmates, earning a few eye rolls from the others.

The blond reminded me of a pretty bird who was enamored with his own reflection. Not entirely a narcissist as there wasn't a hint of maliciousness in his actions and scent, but pretty much self-absorbed. His costume even screamed for attention with how shiny it looked under the light, and the sparkling cape did him no favors. From the inside, I wished the karate boy—Iida—the best of luck in his endeavor to win the match with his oddball partner.

" _Hah_ , sounds like you already got this fight in a bag!" the guy in the black and white costume (Sero) chuckled. "Let's show these two how it's done, man!"

"Get ready to get _wrecked_!" the big guy (Satō) slammed his fists together.

"That's the spirit!" All Might praised the second team's enthusiasm. "Now get out there and show us how it's done!"

Ten minutes later, Iida and Aoyama entered the building by sneaking through the backdoor after making sure to look around for any sort for ugly surprises. They could've done better, but at least it was a better improvement than what Uraraka and Kaminari did. On the top side of the building, two of the upper floors was covered in... tape?

Sero, the guy with the bulky elbows, was covering the hallways and doorways with strips of tape coming from from his arms. Satō meanwhile was keeping an eye of the windows and ventilation systems, something of a surprisingly thoughtful consideration. The two teams were on guard as one team made their way up while the other went overboard on securing the area.

However, watching Iida stick his back against the walls while travelling down the hallways with his partner calmly following his lead, and how sometimes I caught Sero wringing his arms...

"Strike one and two." I counted.

"What?" the pinkette swiveled towards me in surprise. "What'd they do wrong?!"

Next to me Yaoyorozu narrowed her eyes. It took Iida and Aoyama over eight minutes to arrive on the seventh floor without incident. I waited for them to do something to finally get it going, but like the hallways, they played it safe and carefully navigated their way through the forest of tape like they were spies getting past the red laser beams guarding the prize.

"Three."

Sero and Satō stood guard around the fake nuclear warhead, eyes still on the windows and ventilation systems. Iida and Aoyama finally made for the last floor where they immediately began to inspect the doors of where the villain team could be holding the nuclear. Sero was smart to use the other doors as decoys, but with how the heroes continued to waste time in looking through every door...

"Four."

Once the Iida pinpointed the correct door (which had so much tape covering it), he finally made the right choice and went for the attack. Aoyama blasted the door open, making the two villains jump in their spots. With dust and debris covering their entrance, Iida rushed forward inside the room. Immediately, Sero reacted by lunging forward with a tape rope ready to be used, however unlike all the times he used it, it didn't come out as fast he wanted it to.

Satō stayed next to the weapon, arms ready to bash skulls in case Iida came for him.

Easily ducking under the tape, Iida twisted himself with one leg stretched out to deliver a sweep. Sero could've dodged it had the leg not been boosted by the powerful engines on the karate boy's calves. The kids in the monitor all winced and gave groans of sympathy for Sero who flew back a little before collapsing on his knees and forehead while clutching his midsection. It was like a mirror of what happened to Kaminari in the first round.

Catching the other boy chomping on something when Iida was dealing with Sero, Satō then went in for a flurry of swings. With his body mass, you'd think he was slow, but he was actually moving pretty quick for a guy his size. Iida kept ducking and dodging him, backing away from Satō's attacks.

At the door, Aoyama appeared and Satō continued his attacks on Iida only.

"Five."

Taking opportunity in the distracted, the glittering teen made his way towards the warhead and without fanfare, touched the warhead thus putting the battle simulation to an end. The siren went off and the guys who unfortunately had their comms tucked insider their ears startled badly and clutched their heads when All Might roared victory for the heroes who passed. I had to remember to ask how to adjust the volume of the comms so that way I wouldn't suffer the same fate as the two teams on the screen.

"Aw man, that was so close!" the redhead grinned up at the screen.

"Time is precious as Aizawa has stated." Tokoyami, the bird guy, shook his head.

A few minutes later, Iida, Aoyama, Sero, and Satō stood in the monitor room. Sero was still holding his midsection, but he seemed to be recovering from the pain.

"The heroes may have won this round, but let us review several things that went wrong. Young Yaoyorozu, let's give your classmates the chance to figure out themselves, yes?"

The tall girl easily accepted it without protest. All Might made a gesture to prompt the class into giving their two cents. Again, I avoided All Might's gaze when his electric blue flashed over my direction.

"The heroes, they were taking too long...?" the pinkette offered hesitantly.

"Correct, young Ashido!" All Might praised the alien chick. "Iida, Aoyama, as cautious as you were, you also were on a time limit where the weapon could have been unleashed upon the unsuspecting population, more enemies could have arrived to add more security thus lessening the chances of you retrieving it, or the weapon could have been moved to a different location."

"My greatest apologies, All Might!" Iida bowed.

"And I didn't get enough screen time to show everyone my dazzling performance!" lamented Aoyama.

"At least he was smart not to use his laser beam in a closed space." I mumbled under my breath. Uraraka, along with the pinkette and the redhead standing beside her, heard me and silently nodded in agreement.

"Satō was also distracted by Iida. It's kind of like he forgot Aoyama was there, too."

"Another good point, young Hagakure! It was wise for Satō to be wary of Iida, attacking him so he wouldn't have a chance to pull back and try to attack you like he did with young Sero, but you must remember there was another foe you should have been careful with!" All Might explained to the big teen who rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner.

"Sorry."

"Which goes to the next point regarding your partner, young Sero!"

"Tape guy overused his quirk and that's why his attack on motor-head didn't pan out so great." I blinked at the sound of Bakugō gruff statement.

"Correct!" All Might boomed. "Remember to take this information to heart, young Sero! It could save you from a world of trouble!"

"Y-yeah," the dark-haired teen massaged his midsection. "Roger that."

"The heroes wasted time in looking through every room when they reached the upper floors." Tokoyami pointed out. "And they also could have probably found a way around the taped floors if they could've used the fire escape. Maybe Aoyama could've been the distraction to the villains while Iida went ahead to recover the weapon through the windows."

"Two bird with one stone! You kids are on a roll today!" I winced from the loudness coming from the Pro hero.

The next team to go was Team I and Team D. The Kakashi-looking guy with the multiple arms (Shōji) and his skittish partner (Kōda) would play the role of the "heroes" whilst the redhead in the tattered costume (Kirishima) and Tokoyami would act as "villains".

"Let's get this battle pumped up!" Kirishima exclaimed excitedly, showing off his rows of sharp teeth.

"If I must become one with the darkness in order to become a hero, so be it." Tokoyami dramatically declared.

Giving his scent a curious sniff, Tokoyami smelled a lot like wax. Candle wax and pumpkins. Given his hero costume, his quirk, and how his vocabulary revolved around grim, bleak things, the guy's profile screamed goth kid.

 _'Oh my God...'_

Not longer after, we were watching the two teams face each other. Shōji's arms morphed into shapes like ears and eyes, taking in the sights and sounds of his surroundings and accurately leading the way without wasting much time. Kōda, the big quiet guy accompanying Shōji, was crouching low every now and then. It didn't take long to realize he was garnering the attention of a family of rats who've taken up residence within the building.

Some of the girls gave squeals of horror. It was starting to make sense to me why Kōda smelled like he's been inside pet shops and small rodents: his quirk revolved around talking to little creatures and giving command over them. Soon, with a wave of his bulky hand, the rats scattered with orders coming from the quiet kid. Disappearing inside the walls, climbing the pipes, scarpering inside the ventilation systems, and ducking around the corners of the dusty hallways, the tiny rodents had a mission to complete.

In the upper floor, Kirishima and Tokoyami were discussing something before they seemed to come to an agreement. The bird guy summoned his dark apparition and sent it to traverse down the hallways to search the building for the two heroes. However, with the aid of Shōji's useful appendages that kept their ears and eyes out for anything dangerous, the heroes were able to maneuver around the ghostly creature.

Back to the villains, Tokoyami and Kirishima seemed spooked of something as their heads turned this way and that, eyes dancing across the room they were inside.

"Must be the rats." Hagakure said which I silently agreed.

It was a good distraction because Tokoyami called back his apparition and the heroes made sure to duck out of the way in order to keep out of the entity's line of sight. Soon enough, when the coast was clear, the two continued their way up while the rats continued to distract the two boys who were looking for the source.

With Kōda hanging back, Shōji grabbed a nearby metal barrel that was collecting dust with a bunch of broken objects you'd find inside an abandoned warehouse. He launched it in the room aiming towards the back of the two boys when the ghostly apparition materialized and destroyed the thing by clawing it to pieces. Cover blown, Shōji charged met him head on, his skin looking like cracked glass or a rocky surface, taking professional swipes, swings, kicks, and sweeps to hit his opponent.

Shōji expertly dodged and blocked the blows until he caught Kirishima and was about to toss him elsewhere when he jerked away to avoid getting attacked by Tokoyami's creature. Tokoyami sent his shadowy apparition after the tentacle guy, forcing Shōji on the defensive to dodge being hit by the creature with the powerful-looking claws.

" _Ooh_! This is so cool!" the pinkette, Ashido, gushed as she bounced a little on her feet.

"Please take this seriously! This is a learning experience!" Iida chopped the air directly at Ashido's direction.

"Party pooper!"

"Shut your traps!" Bakugō barked at the two.

"Cool it, kids!" All Might admonished them (mostly Bakugō) from his spot.

Suddenly, Tokoyami started to thrash wildly from where he stood to the side. The shadow lost control and Shōji was left alone, leaving him and everyone inside the monitor room to stare at the bird guy in confusion. Tokoyami staggered while flailing his arms until he ripped off his cloak to reveal rats climbing up his pants and shirt.

"Oh snap!" Kaminari hissed from his spot.

" _Eww_ , rats!" the girl with the long earlobes shuddered.

Uraraka and Ashido gave another squeal of aghast horror. All Might looked like he wanted to join them but remained where he was. I gave a small wince of sympathy for Tokoyami but continued to judge his performance none the less.

"One."

Kōda, who had been hiding at the doorway, made a run for the warhead. Kirishima went to go after the big kid but Shōji tackled him to floor to prevent the redhead from going after his partner. Tokoyami was too lost in his flight instincts in trying to shrug off the rats, and his loss of focus costed him because Kōda reached the nuclear warhead and the battle was over.

"And the hero team wins!" All Might delightfully announced.

The two teams returned and Tokoyami looked like he was trying to regain some dignity for the loss of control. Kirishima looked bummed out, kicking the floor a little; Shōji took the whole situation with silent grace and his nervous partner turned beet red from all the praises others given him, looking more like a turtle who wanted to hide back inside his shell. When it came to the review, there was only one issue of the whole thing I found a bit bothersome.

"Tokoyami relied too much on his quirk." Todoroki surprisingly spoke for what was probably the first time, shocking the others. "He's good as a distant range fighter, but when it comes to himself, he was open for an attack."

The bird guy ought to do something about that particular problem or else it was going to bite him in the ass later on, I thought. Once the discussion died down, the next hero team to go was Ashido, the amphibious girl (Asui), the earlobe girl (Jirō), and the guy with the beefed tail (Ojiro). When the group left, a thought came hurdling towards me like a boulder about to crush me: mine and Yaoyorozu's battle with Todoroki and Bakugō would be next.

With a sense of uneasiness growing in my chest, my eyes slowly wandered towards where my opponents stood.

The smell of mint and cinnamon came from the heterochromic-eyed boy. One side that smelled icy while the other half was... spicy? Digging deep into the past, I was sort of able to recall him. His quirk was powerful, burning and freezing anything in his path. Yet as I stood in the room with him, all he seemed to be producing was a lot of chills. A few of the kids would rub their shoulders and hands together now and then, but nowhere in that moment did anyone feel hot inside the crowded room.

There was most likely a story behind why he preferred his ice rather than treating his dual powers on equal footing, but I wasn't about to go up and ask him about it. After all, what business of it was mine to know about my classmates when I was in favor of being left to my own privacy.

Bakagō was watching the screen, but I could smell and feel the fire thrumming under his skin. A few times I caught a tremble in his legs and torso, his fingers twitching with tiny flickers of light came to life.

He was excited.

" _Ooo_!" I blinked when Uraraka sucked in her breath, a pained look on her face. "That's gotta smart!"

Back on the screen, I grunted at missing half the fight where Asui was recovering from a surprise attack by Ojiro. Ashido meanwhile was swerving, dodging, and sliding away with some gooey substance she was producing from her arms and hands. She moved like an acrobat. Ojiro kept swinging his tail, keeping the two girls from getting past him whilst his partner guarded the entrance of the room.

The guy was good at keeping his opponents at bay so far, but it looked like he was about to be overwhelmed by their combined forces. Ashido's goo (was that acid?) was splattering all around the ground where Ojiro was, and he had to dodge being hit by the frog girl's whip-like tongue. Just when everyone thought the guy would lose his spot in defending the hallway leading into the nuclear weapon, he ducked inside an open hallway just as the girl with the long earlobes, Jirō delivered an attack from the doorway.

I was startled by the rhythmic noise I could pick up from afar.

 ** _tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump_**

It sounded like a heartbeat.

Ashido and Asui were forced to retreat from the attack. Whatever plan of attack they might have conjured up didn't matter because their time was up and the round belonged to the "villain" Ojiro and Jirō.

 ** _tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump_**

My hand pressed itself against my chest.

 ** _tha-thumptha-thumptha-thump_**

I looked up. Everyone was already gathered around All Might as he and the classmates gave their little remarks on how the two teams could have improved in their situation, but overall the mistakes were few and everyone was satisfied. So lost in myself that I hadn't realized Ashido, Asui, Ojiro, and Jirō returned and took their battle assessment with surprising maturity but appearing genuinely pleased that their techniques impressed their peers.

All Might's bright blue irises then turned on me, and unlike all the other times, he kept them locked on my spot.

Yaoyorozu was already making her way through the crowd, and she slowed down when she came close to where I was standing. Her dark eyes met my tangerines while her face remained completely blank of emotions. When she opened her mouth to speak, it was as if a guillotine was coming down on me.

"It's our turn."

.

.

.

Todoroki and Bakugō walked a couple of feet behind us.

While I was lost in the hurricane of my own mind, my body moved in autopilot by instinctively following Yaoyorozu's directions, trusting that she knew the location All Might pointed out for everyone to head towards. With the comms tucked in our ears, the Pro hero wished our group the best then sent us on our way. The entire time we walked there, it was utterly quiet with only the sound of our heels and soles scraping against the asphalt streets of the fake city we were left to wander through.

Before I knew it, we reached our destination.

I eyed the building's structure, taking in it's somewhat old appearance.

"Quit gawking and fucking move, crybaby!" Bakugō waspishly snapped from behind me.

As tempted as I was to retaliate with a scathing retort of my own, I knew that it would just be my nerves trying to lash out. I'd also be wasting precious time as Tokoyami said earlier in the monitor room. With a heavy sigh, I head inside the building where Yaoyorozu was waiting for me to join her. She had a folded piece of paper, something given to her by All Might. It was probably a map to show her the location of where we would find the nuclear warhead we were suppose to be guarding from the "hero" team.

"Let's go."

There was a lot of dust, some patches of mold on the few drywalls left around, a couple of puddles from the April rain showers that came by, and a few crates and barrels found here and there. It took me a minute to realize that I had tuned out my partner who was talking about a plan she thought of on the way here. As we were reaching the second floor, my eyes were drawn again to the surroundings.

It was the same as the first floor, dusty and moldy, and the support pillars sparse to leave the area with more room. I wondered if this location was chosen because All Might knew space was needed in order for me to combat my opponents, but I shook that idea as quickly as it came. That was like giving a student an upper hand, and All Might was all about playing it fair.

Biased opinions had no place when class was in session.

Still, I was kind of worried that this place could get messed up if we—

I stopped.

"I can produce a winter coats if need be. Todoroki is the kind of person who wants to get things done quickly without hassle." Yaoyorozu went on, not noticing until she was halfway across the room that I was standing in the middle of the wide room. "Sengoku? We need to hurry up and reach the the top floor. We only have three minutes left for preparation for the battle simulation..."

She trailed off when both my hands rose in a polite gesture that I was processing something and I needed her silence to register the idea. The cogs inside my head began to move with inspiration being it's driving force; the longer I looked around the large, spacious room, eyes shooting between the stairs from the ground floor towards the other set of stairs across the open space leading to the third level of the building, the more my internal gears started spinning faster and faster.

"I have an idea." I said in a quiet tone, but my voice was somewhat loud enough to be bouncing off the solid walls.

The tall girl watched me warily as I jogged past her, giving the large room another scan while making for the stairs.

"What are you talking about? I already told you what the plan is!" Yaoyorozu stated, her voice hard as she followed me. "You weren't listening, were you? Why am I not surprised?"

"Does it involve locking ourselves inside the room with the weapon while barricading the door so they won't come in?" I shot back at her. "For someone who's been given special recommendations to U.A., you're not all that bright, are you?"

"Excuse me?" the girl gawked at my back, eyes growing wide as saucers from the audacity.

"Instead of acting like a condescending know-it-all, you ought to try asking for other people's opinions." I continued to jog up the stairs as we hurried towards the top floor. "What if somebody has an idea that can collaborate with yours? Maybe someone has a suggestion or input you hadn't taken into consideration because they know something you don't. One day you're going to be required to work with a team of people in the real world, and they're gonna have ideas, too. So you can quit with the holier-than-thou attitude you got going on because it's not going to help us win."

"I wasn't—" the girl faltered from behind me, almost tripping over the last step.

"Yeah, I don't have time to waste listening in to whatever bullshit excuse you've got." I interrupted her. "In the mean time, let's pretend you're actually a mature professional who knows when to put aside her grudge when the situation calls for it."

I looked over my shoulder.

"Do you think you can manage that?"

There was something deeply satisfying in seeing her reaction when her words from earlier came flying right back to her face. I was already looking ahead to run across the floors (while scanning it as we went by), but I could feel Yaoyorozu glaring holes into the back of my head. If she was expecting me to be submissive and docile while leading the whole operation by herself then she was in for a rude awakening.

"What's your plan?" she asked, albeit grudgingly.

"Let me see the map." I held a hand out for the paper she has in her possession. "He said we can't move the nuclear weapon out of the room, right?"

"Correct."

"Good," a feral grin made its appearance on my face. "This is where you come in, _princess_."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

 **. Toshinori .**

* * *

The Pro hero checked the time on his tablet for the fourth time.

Behind him, the kids were getting a bit stir crazy from the waiting, but some (like young Iida, Tokoyami, and Shōji) patiently waited for the event to get started. Toshinori caught a few hushed whispers between the students on who they were putting their bets on. For most, they would say Todoroki had the advantage because of the power he had over his ice quirk, but a few argued with Yaoyorozu having a chance to win because of her intelligence on how to think a few steps ahead of most people.

Unfortunately, these kids were forgetting two vital pieces of the battle.

"Excuse me," he heard a small, apologetic whisper come from behind. "Coming through."

Uraraka, the girl he recognized as one of the two people to come running for his successor's defense, carefully made her way closer to the observation screen. He noticed after her round that she joined young Sengoku in the back, keeping the tall teen company as he quietly counted the mistakes he spotted on the screen. The poor kid was probably feeling a bit anxious, something the older man understood.

 _'I can't be showing any favors.'_ Toshinori pulled up his tablet again. _'My duty as a teacher comes first.'_

One minute and forty-seven seconds remained on the clock for the two teams to prepare for the battle simulation. With a quiet sigh escaping through his nose, the older man let his gaze wander towards the monitor screen until one livestream caught his attention—young Todoroki was standing passively with a disinterested look on his half-scarred face while young Bakugō yelled at him as his face flushed an angry red.

The first time All Might saw the kid, he was choking on filthy gunk being shoved over his mouth and nose, cutting off his airway while the villain used his body to wreak utter havoc upon the public area. And after the boy had been recovered from the sludge villain, he fell utterly quiet. The Pro hero lingered, smiling at the cameras and reporters until the policemen arrived, along with detective Sengoku who immediately went straight for young Bakugō. One the boy was taken care of, All Might left the scene (leaping across the city in search of the other angry boy who's harsh truths tore right through his very core).

"All Might, sir! Bakugō appears to be instigating a fight with his partner! That won't do for his battle assessment!" Iida interjected, slicing the air with his arms.

Grounded by young Iida's voice, Toshinori reached for his comms. "Young man! I hope you're not thinking of attacking your partner! You know, the person you need to help you succeed in your battle against the villains?"

 _"I don't need this half-n-half fucktard!"_ Bakugō immediately yelled back, making the older man wince. _"I can take on that fucking crybaby and stripperella all by myself!"_

 _"And I'm telling you that you don't need to lift a finger because I can take them out myself."_

 _"YOU SAYING I'M WEAK?!"_

 _"I'm saying you're not needed."_

"This is going to be put in your grade!" Toshinori warned the two boys before the ash blond teen could think of lunging forward and tackling his partner to the ground. "If you do anything to hurt each other, you automatically fail this exercise and the winners will be the villain team! Do you both honestly want to go down on the record to have the shortest battle simulation in your class?"

With a snarl aimed at the twin-shaded Todoroki, young Bakugō stalked closer towards the opening of the building's entrance. The Pro hero let out a small sigh of relief, only to be startled when he felt a small pat on his hip. The blond looked down to find Uraraka, Asui, and Kirishima staring up at him with awe.

"That was pretty close, sensei." the green-haired girl said.

"I really thought they were going to tear each other apart there for a sec." the brunette gave a nervous chuckle.

"You're pretty awesome at this teaching stuff, sensei!" the redheaded teen praised him.

Funny, he was often told the opposite.

 _'Suck on that, Sengoku-kun!'_

"Of course!" Iida once again piped in. "He's a professional who's handled many kinds of issues, from serving the public concerning every citizen's safety to deescalating arguments! There is no greater purpose for heroes when it comes to keeping the peace!"

What cute little students, Toshinori thought fondly.

 ** _beep beep!_**

"Ah!"

It was time to start the battle simulation.

With the gusto of his mask, Toshinori opened the comms and announced to the last teams: "Begin!"

Not surprisingly, young Bakugō was the first one to head inside the building while young Todoroki calmly followed his partner. Outwardly he appeared undisturbed, but the older man was able to spot the tight clench of his fist when he walked through the opening. The twin-shaded teen must've had a plan to flush out the villains more quickly, but due to his partner's uncooperative nature, things were not going to be so easy.

Young Sengoku and Yaoyorozu in the mean time...

"What is she making?"

"Are those...?"

All eyes were drawn on the villain team.

"Holy crap!"

"Is that even _allowed_?!"

"So long as no one breaks the rules stated earlier," All Might explained to the rest of the gawking class. "Anything goes!"

At once, several cameras caught an orange-yellow blur quickly closing in on the approaching hero team.

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Stop following me, you damn candy cane!"

"This is the only direction leading up."

The sound of a heavy combat boots and cleats felt more louder than Bakugō's angry yelling. The two of them made their way across the second floor in a confident stride towards the staircase leading up to the third floor, bypassing the support pillars and water marked drywalls decorating the second level. The further they walked inside, the more the building appeared to be some sort of abandoned construction site.

"Fine, dammit! Just stay the fuck outta my way, half-n-half!"

"I'm right next to you."

"Don't get smart with me, you—"

The sound of a tiny whistle and shifting fabric was the only warning the two got when they were attacked from above.

Releasing my grip on the pipes stretched across the ceiling that helped me keep aloft from the floor, I capture each of my opponents by the back of their shirts and flung them across the hall until their backs collided with a drywall. The thin frame broke when two heavy bodies collided against it, but it served its purpose in slowing down their collision so they wouldn't end up getting seriously hurt.

"What the fuck?!" I heard Bakugō angrily shout from the hole he and Todoroki created. " _MOTHERFUCKER_ , I'M GONNA MURDER—!"

The quick spread of mint caught my attention.

Cutting off the ash blond's angry screaming, a wave of ice flew towards me from the broken wall I sent the heroes through. I could dodge but that was probably what Todoroki wanted me to do. His ice was like a road to pave the way towards where my partner was while unleashing Bakugō to distract me until he reached the fake nuclear warhead. Determined to keep him from getting closer to the main goal, I stood my ground.

"Gomu Gomu no...!" I quickly created a barrage of multiple flying fists. " _GATLING_!"

Like a glorified ice shaving machine, ice went flying in random directions as my arms crushed the thick blocks intent on reaching my form. Tiny forms of ice cubes bounced off my face, and the rest of my upper torso grew wet then chilled due to Todoroki's quirk which was an uncomfortable experience, but I didn't dare cease with my defense effort lest I become a human-shaped popsicle.

The scent of mint was strong with Todoroki's ice quirk sending chills all throughout the floor like he was a personified air conditioner, it briefly made me wonder if inhaling it would help clean my breath.

 _'There's no end to this!'_ I gritted my teeth in frustration.

A crash from the side and the smell of toxic nitroglycerin made me look to the side to catch Bakugō forcing his way through another feeble drywall before lunging towards me. Too busy fighting off the twin shaded teen, I dismissed the ash blond who was making his way around the large labyrinth room until I was in his sights. A ferocious grin plastered on his masked face, Bakugō opened his gloved palms with sparks of light popping in preparation.

"EAT SHIT, CRYBABY!"

And suddenly the ice swallowed me whole. The ash blond held back his attack and instead landed clumsily on the giant ice block that engulfed the person he was aiming for since the start of the battle simulation.

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" Bakugō snarled at his partner. "I HAD HIM!"

"You distracted him," Todoroki monotonously stated. "Now we can—"

His words were cut off when something gave an ominous rumble beneath them.

Without warning, the frozen ground beneath Todoroki's feet cracked before shattering completely. What was more shocking was the pair of gloved hands that shot up and clamped tightly around his ankles like vices, proceeding to yank the startled teen downwards into the crumbling floor. The heterochromic-eyed boy released a sharp cry of surprise, totally not expecting to be attacked from below and was therefore unable to react fast enough (for offense? Defense? He didn't know). Next thing Todoroki knew, he landed in a heap on the hard floor, using his arm to shield himself when some debris and small blocks of ice fell down.

With his ice mask partially destroyed from the painful landing, Todoroki opened his eyes to find himself back in the first floor of the building. A shadow fell over him, causing the twin-shaded boy to shoot his teal/gray eyes up to find the source.

"'Sup." I greeted Todoroki in a deadpan fashion.

A chilling glare was all I got for my efforts.

I could feel his attack coming before I could see it. Enhancing my sense of touch, I felt the room drop in temperature, the goosebumps covering over my flesh, and my body hair rise in alarm. A flash of white came at me but I expertly dodged it, flipping away from him to keep a safe distance between myself and Todoroki. The other boy easily got back to his feet, taking a moment to dust off the debris from his once immaculate hero costume, but his gray and teal orbs never left my frame. While his face remained cool on the surface, there was something about the cinnamon hint in his scent that made me wonder if he was feeling a little upset about this whole thing.

 _"Todoroki has been training to enter this school since he was a youngster." Yaoyorozu explained as she opened her leotard's front to create more materials. "He is the son of the number two hero, after all."_

 _I stood at the center of the large room we were using to hide the weapon, staring at the ground in contemplation. "So he's the same as you."_

 _The tall girl went still, her perfectly manicured fingers going taut with how tight she was clutching her hero costume. Yaoyorozu bit her bottom lip then forced herself to take a calm breath so she wouldn't say something that would result in an argument between the both of us. I knew that she knew what I was referring to, and as much as she wanted to defend herself against that jab I aimed at her, time was of the essence and she didn't want to be caught unprepared should Todoroki and his partner come knocking on her door._

 _"... Yes." Yaoyorozu forcefully bit out._

Like Yaoyorozu, Todoroki was raised to be better than the average kid since birth. I've watched plenty of anime to recognize a trope when I saw one: the story of the typical genius/prodigy who was hailed to become the most powerful of their generation. But this wasn't some trope, this was real life, and Todoroki was no longer some side character in a story. The dual-haired boy was an unpredictable opponent who I needed to quickly accustom myself to, and if he really was the type of kid to be brought up to the extreme in his own home, then he was somebody I didn't want to take chances with.

But just like Yaoyorozu, there was an advantage I had over Todoroki.

Another flash of white came flying towards me in another attempt to bury me in a cocoon of ice, but rather than dodging it, I twirled around in a circle while extended my arm as if it was a whip. With a mighty swing thanks to the momentum I created, I aimed it towards the incoming ice coffin and used my brute strength to shatter the thing to pieces. Several blocks of heavy ice went flying wildly backwards, and Todoroki had to summon a wall in order to avoid getting hit by the chunks of blocky hail

Seeing an opening, I bolted towards the other boy. I was going to surprise Todoroki with a couple of attacks that would overwhelm him while preventing him from getting to the top floor—when something fell through the hole I made in order to drag Todoroki down in the first floor.

"HEY DIPSHIT!" I looked up to find Bakugō falling towards me, an open palm ready to detonate itself in my face.

"Oh crap!" I raised my arms to shield my head then threw myself away just as the explosion went off.

Rolling until I was a safe distance from where I originally was, I shot back to my feet to face the duo at the other end. Todoroki was no longer hiding behind his ice wall and Bakugō was standing ready, his every present ferocious expression aimed towards me. Eyes open and touch sense heightened, I kept track of the two opponents. The air grew colder, so much that I could see a bit of fog escaping from every exhale.

This was the part I was not looking forward to, I thought grimly. The plan was to keep both of them from reaching the top floors, but the effort to do so would rely solely on my shoulders since Yaoyorozu wouldn't be able to do much against the likes of these two melee fighters. Yeah, she could create stuff and set traps, but that's whenever Yaoyorozu had the time to plan that shit. She might've been good in self defense, but she'd be lucky that she'd never have to go head-to-head with Bakugō.

My heel bumped into something and a quick glance revealed a few wooden boards that rotted from the wooden crates and empty oil barrels clustered behind me. It looked like I was getting pushed closer into a corner where the two boys would strike to take me down, though that depended entirely on how they were going to follow through with that idea since both of them weren't willing to share.

"You think 'cause of what happened that you've got what it takes to be a hero?" Bakugō sneered viciously.

"I'm standing here, aren't I?" I easily quipped.

"Cocky little shit!" the ash blond cursed, darting towards me with the help of his quirk to throw him around the room in a zig-zag motion. No doubt he was trying to keep my attention on him while making me feel paranoid to also watch out for his partner who was probably looking for opening to attack me with. Clever Bakugō.

"Takes one to know one!" I shot back as grabbed a crate and sent it flying towards Bakugō who was forced to dodge it.

"DON'T FUCK WITH ME!"

The series of fiery blasts caused a slight tremor to reverberate all throughout the entire building's structure. The explosion kicked up dust from the force it created, blending itself with the smoke to further blind the occupants in the room. Todoroki used his quirk to send chilly gusts so he wouldn't end up accidentally inhaling any of the black smoke surrounding him, eyes wincing slightly from the sting of the harsh cloud.

Bakugō had aimed his explosions towards the corner, burying it under fire and black plumes and Todoroki waited for the opportunity to freeze his enemy in case they tried to escape in another direction. It was imperfect, but what choice did Todoroki or Bakugō have since neither of them were willing to put aside their differences and work properly in a functioning manner. Not that it mattered to them since this little spat was over before it truly began.

 _"Take it easy, young man! You're beginning to cross a dangerous line!"_ All Might's voice shouted through the comms.

"He's fine! That little piece o' shit can tak—"

Something lunged out of the black smoke, but Todoroki was ready.

With a stomp of his right foot, ice shot towards the fleeing figure in the yellow-orange sweater.

Only to find just that: a yellow-orange sweater encased in ice.

"Gomu Gomu no...!" Todoroki whipped his attention back to the black smoke.

Several things happened.

" _BUCKSHOT_!"

Something small and long shot out of the darkness; because they were small, they were too fast to keep a visual track on, never mind all five of them; and since they were small, fast, too quick to keep up with, and too many to watch out for, it resulted in both boys doubling over in pain from what felt like a couple of non penetrative bullets hitting their exposed sides. The ash blond went down with a pained "fuck", clutching at his exposed shoulder and leg from where he was hit. Todoroki gritted his teeth as he held his right side from where the tiny appendage hit his ribs.

The black cloud dispersed to reveal my mostly unharmed form standing behind a few wooden crates and oil barrels I used for cover. Using the hoodie of my oversized sweater, I pulled the strings tight enough that the cotton fabric would block my mouth and nose to prevent inhalation. One of my hands was exposed, glove removed in order to pull the skin of my hand which let the fingers of my hand sink in until I unleashed it like tightly coiled springs. The fingers quickly darted back to their original form, a sharp slap cracking the air.

 _'He stretched his fingers and used them as rubber bullets?'_ Todoroki grunted, internally kicking himself for easily dismissing his opponent.

He didn't expect to find someone actually putting this much effort and difficulty in keeping him down—the heterochromic-eyed teen stilled at the unbidden thought. It was so small and vague, yet powerful enough to shake him out of his pained stupor.

Of course.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

 **. Toshinori .**

* * *

" _Ouch_!" Uraraka, Iida, Ashido, Sero, and Jirō scrunched their faces as if feeling the pain of rubber bullets hitting their unprotected sides.

"That's gotta suck." Kirishima remarked.

"Yeah, no kidding! I heard a rubber bullet to the head could actually kill someone if shot in close range. Those guys are lucky they got hit elsewhere." Kaminari rubbed at the spots where the two "heroes" had been hit.

Watching the two kids collapse on the floor after such a painful blow, the older man wondered if he should advise young Sengoku not to repeat such dangerous techniques on his own classmates. True, the whole thing was a learning experience on how to fight enemies and work with partners in order to overthrow the other team, but perhaps the boy ought to cut back on hurting them in such a way that might cause serious harm...?

However, to be fair, young Bakugō was no better at keeping a lid on it with every explosion he continued to throw at his successor.

Not only that, Toshinori noted as he watched the ash blond teen climb back on his feet that he knew must've been a struggle, this whole fight was becoming _personal_.

At first, he thought young Bakugō was simply eager to show his skills to the audience judging him within the monitor room, but everyone had been floored when the ash blond slipped down the hole Endeavor's son disappeared through when young Sengoku dragged him down to the first floor. It would have been easy for the ash blond boy to go ahead while leaving his partner to deal with the taller boy by himself whilst he went after the Yaoyorozu girl, but that's not what happened. Almost immediately, the kids started to voice their critical opinions.

"Why is he going back? The stairs to the third floor are right behind him!"

"Maybe he's trying to save his partner?"

"After that guy tried to bite Todoroki's head off earlier? I don't think so."

Internally, Toshinori shook his head. That couldn't be farther from the truth.

"Maybe it's because Bakugō and Sengoku know each other."

And suddenly, everyone's attention was on the brunette who spoke up. Uraraka was taken aback, feeling a small flush of embarrassment from the scrutiny her fellow classmates were giving her. The Pro hero himself was actually surprised she caught on so quickly despite having barely made acquaintances with Sengoku-kun.

"I mean," the girl paused. "They have these little nicknames to call one another...?"

 _'Nicknames?!'_ several students thought incredulously. _'Those were insults!'_

"Now that you mention it..." the redhead rubbed his chin. "Those two do give off a feeling of having some sort of history with each other."

"A rather grim one." Tokoyami gravely added.

"Now those two looked ready to bite the other's head off." Mineta commented from the way side.

"That Gunnarsen guy must've been the other middle school student involved with the sludge incident besides Bakugō." Hagakure's voice pitched in.

"Don't you think it's dangerous to pit two students who clearly have personal issues?" Asui asked the Pro hero. "What if they use the battle simulation as an excuse to hurt the other and become a danger to not only themselves, but their partners as well?"

"She poses a good question, All Might sir!" Iida chimed in.

Contrary to popular belief, his successor wasn't running around the place as if he didn't have a plan hiding up his sleeve. In fact, he was pretty sure Sengoku-kun was aiming for something but was not being obvious about it like most of the others were in their battle simulations.

"Have no fear, young students!" the Pro hero gave them all a reassuring smile. "Why? Because—"

"Because it's a fated battle between two rivals!" Uraraka resounded, cutting him off completely.

Toshinori and the other students gave the petite brunette another bewildered look. From the little fist pump she thrusted in the air, the girl in the black and pink costume appeared to be excited by the prospect of two male characters having an epic showdown from whatever personal grudge that brought them together.

 _'This isn't an anime!'_

"Oh hey, blondie is about to murder tall, dark, and brooding." Jirō nonchalantly pointed at the observation screen with her elongated earlobes.

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"You fucking... little _shit_!" Bakugō glowered at me, ripping his gloved hand away from his shoulder. "You're dead! You're a fucking _dead_ _man_ , Kuzan!"

Taking in the sparks dangerously flashing around his gloves, his sharpened red eyes focused solely on me, and the rising temperature of his body heat which reeked of molten toxic waste about to unleash unspeakable destruction, it was safe to say that I had officially pissed off Bakugō Katsuki.

"Okay."

With a roar, he was on top of me.

I went back to ducking, dodging, and diving around his attacks, letting his frustrations climb to dangerous heights. While my eyes kept track of Bakugō's wild and hazardous movements, I opened my touch sense again in case Todoroki decided to attack me again while the other boy giving chase would distract me. And while I felt the coldness in the air, there was no change or decreasing levels of temperature.

In fact, I couldn't even seem to sense Todoroki at all.

A quick glance to where I last saw Todoroki made me freeze.

There on the staircase leading up towards the second floor was a giant crystallized wall of ice!

Sure enough, when I expanded my hearing range, I caught the sound of cleats quickly making their way across the second level of the building towards the next staircase leading up to the third floor. I reached for my comms to notify Yaoyorozu—

 ** _BOOM!_**

Only to be sent flying, barreling through a couple of drywalls before my body violently crashed into a concrete support pillar.

The pillar cracked upon the impact, and my rubber body became an unnatural-looking shape that would've seriously freaked out anyone else who didn't know my second abilities. My body slapped back into its original shape where I was left to fall down in a crumpled heap on the dusty ground. Gloved hands pressed flatly against the concrete floor, I winced then hissed from the stinging sensation that flared up when I moved my arms. I could tell that I had some seriously burn scars, part of my shirt torn or burned off due to the explosive heat.

"That's what you get for not taking this fight seriously, you fucking moron!" Bakugō yelled from his spot all the way across the spacious room ( _damn_ , he really blew me away). "Don't start bawling your eyes when you lose!"

 _'Well then, better get this fight over with.'_

I tapped the comms.

"The big fish is coming your way, princess. Get the bait ready."

 _"Copy that."_

"Did you not hear what I fucking said, crybaby?!" the ash blond quickly closed the gap between us. "TAKE THIS FIGHT SERIOUSLY!"

Bolting upright up in a half knelt position, I opened my long arms while greedily inhaling the air to inflate my hands, and once my opponent was close enough, I swing my arms and give a thunderous clap just as the explosion went off. The force of the blasts canceled each other out, but because Bakugō had been zipping across the air, he was the one to be sent crashing backwards on his ass.

"Sorry," I huffed as I stood up. "But I don't got any time for you."

With that, I run towards the blocked staircase. As I drew closer, I began to twist my arm in a corkscrew fashion to unleash a powerful blow against the blocked staircase.

"Gomu Gomu no—!"

" _GET THE FUCK BACK HERE_!" I heard him scream from behind me.

" _RIFLE_!"

The ice shattered.

And yet all it revealed was more ice.

 _'That little prick blocked the whole staircase.'_

It was the flaring heat from behind that made me dart away in time avoid getting another blast to my back. Bakugō let out another scream of fury, steam and tiny ice particles flying everywhere.

"You're not going anywhere, you dumb shit!"

"Oh yeah?" I sneered at him. "And _you're_ gonna be the one to stop _me_?"

I could imagine seeing the angry blond's imaginary hackles rising at the insinuation that he couldn't hope to land another hit on me again. Normally, it was never a good idea to poke and prod at the dragon, but in a situation like this...

A glance at the hole I made earlier was also covered in ice. I was willing to bit it was just as thick as the one in the staircase. I needed to get to the upper floors because time was wasting and I wasn't sure how long Yaoyorozu was able to keep Todoroki busy by herself.

"Gomu Gomu no...!" I throw both my arms back, standing directly in front of the staircase which the ash blond was blocking.

"I'm gonna make you eat those shitty words, you stupid jackass!" Bakugō snarled viciously as he crouched a little low to prepare for the incoming attack I was about to unleash. "The more you open that fucking mouth of yours, the more it's like you're asking for a damn ass whooping!"

" _BAZOOKA_!"

Instead of standing there like an idiot about to get hit with something so powerful (he was probably having flashbacks of the TOPT gym where we found out about my rubber quirk by accident), Bakugō dodged the double palms flying towards him rapidly. It continued to sail past him until it collided against the wall of the ice the twin shaded boy had left behind in order to pursue the other villain guarding the fake nuclear weapon.

 ** _KA-CRAASH!_**

Unlike with the Rifle attack which created a spiral-shaped crater in the ice, the Bazooka continued its destruction until nothing remained but a gaping hole in the staircase leading up the second floor.

 _'When the fuck did he get_ _—?!'_

The ash blond's thoughts were cut off when a tall figure ran past him, ignoring his distracted and unguarded back in favor of going after Todoroki. A spark of rage ignited within Bakagō at the blatant dismissal.

"DON'T IGNORE ME, YOU LITTLE CRYBABY!"

...

Todoroki Shotō paused at the slight tremor the building gave, along with the muffled sound of an explosion occurring several levels below. Unlike the explosions his partner constantly made, that one sounded more powerful. It didn't matter if Sengoku could get past the thick walls of ice he left behind because the tall boy was only going to find more ice blocking every staircase head further up the building's floors. And by the time Sengoku reached the top floor, the battle simulation would be long over, and Shotō would walk out the building as the winner.

Climbing the rest of the stairs to the seventh floor, his gray and teal-colored irises looked around the halls. According to the map, this was the floor where the villains would be hiding the nuclear weapon. With a quick scope of his surroundings, he stepped into the halls.

Another crash, explosion, and tremor made him pause again. That one sounded a tad bit louder than the previous.

 _'It's likely my ice isn't doing much to hold Sengoku back, and I doubt Bakugō can hold him off for long.'_ Shotō thought. _'I should hurry up and look for—'_

The clacking of high heels had him whipping his head up in time to see Yaoyorozu passing an intersection in the quiet halls. She too froze like a deer in the headlights when she caught him standing at the other end of the hall from the corner of her eye.

The both of them stared at one another for a brief few seconds until the tall girl bolted down the hall. Shotō stomped on his right foot, sending a wave of ice after Yaoyorozu before pursuing her himself. The frost spread across the entire floor, making everything chillier and clouded with freezing mist with tiny ice particles twinkling in the air. Once he turned the corner, he found that his opponent escaped through a door which she shut in time to block the ice he sent chasing after her.

Shotō almost wanted to snort.

Like a door was going to keep him from getting inside.

The crashing explosion and strong tremor from several stories below prompted him to move. He also didn't want to get too impatient considering this was Yaoyorozu he was dealing with, but he couldn't waste time in being too cautious either.

So with a press on the steel door's cool surface, he dropped the temperature in the room by freezing the door in solid ice which spread itself slowly inside the probably spacious room. While he concentrated on spreading the power of his quirk, Shotō kept an ear out to keep track of the muffled explosions Bakugō was furiously attacking Sengoku with, but then another blocked staircase was cleared and it was getting much closer to reaching the top floor.

His own body even shifted slightly from the building's sudden trembling.

He would have easily taken Sengoku by himself with little trouble, but he was prevented from doing so when given a clear warning by All Might not to hurt his own partner. The loud-mouthed fool was too busy taunting and throwing around his explosions that Shotō found it difficult to keep his partner separated from Sengoku long enough to properly attack the taller boy. And they were wasting time by getting in each other's way when trying to go after the slippery opponent, so Shotō went on ahead without Bakugō, more focused on reaching the end goal than listening to his idiotic partner's loud screeching.

Once he was sure everything was frosted over and its occupant left to suffer in the unbearably cold temperature inside the room turned freezer, he pulled away from the door and use his quirk to force his way inside.

 _'It's over.'_

The frozen bolts easily cracked under the force of his strength and the door fell forward—where a bright light flashed before his eyes.

Shotō reacted on reflex, closing his eyes while raising a wall to further enforce his protection. It was fortunate timing because something smacked against his shield. With a wave of his arm, more ice went flying forward to capture his attacker, but with his eyesight temporarily useless, all he could do was aim his attack in different directions he assumed Yaoyorozu would be.

With a few blinks, he was able to clear his blurry and bright vision back to normal. Shotō shook off the last bits of crawling flecks of light dancing around his irises where he was finally able to comprehend the shapes.

Inside the large room, there stood more than a dozen large oval-shaped objects covered in tarpaulin plastic tarps. Somewhere in the large room hidden amongst the inflated objects, there was the nuclear warhead waiting to be captured by the hero team. A small humming sound caused him to look down ti find several heating machines spread across the room, keeping it warm and not allowing the ice to take control of the space he tried to overwhelm with his power.

"I don't have time for guessing games."

The explosions and the accompanying screams of outrage told Shotō that the other two were now a couple of floors below him.

He raised his right arm, about to release cold gusts of wind strong enough to blow off the tarp covering the inflated shapes so he could easily identify which was the nuclear warhead, when something moved in the corner of his peripheral. Yaoyorozu Momo, who had been hiding behind one of the tall covers littered around the spacious room, charged towards him with a steel staff. She expertly swung it downward in a wide arc, aiming for his shoulder.

Aiming for his left shoulder!

Knowing he'd be too slow to twist himself in order to aim his quirk at her, he chose to throw himself backwards. He felt a sharp whistle of air where the staff nearly slammed into the space between his neck and shoulder. What's more troublesome was that she didn't fall back like he expected her to. She continued to chase after him—all while avoiding getting into the range of his right side.

 _'She knows.'_ Shotō gritted his teeth.

She knew that he never used his left side.

Was he that easy to read? Who else was able to perceive his refusal to use his father's power?

 _'I don't need it,'_ Shotō snarled at himself. _'I don't need it!'_

 _A pair of teal eyes glared at him through the flames surrounding them._

 _He was standing over her, like a shadowy colossus._

 _A sharp whistle of steam pierced the air_ _—_

Yaoyorozu dived in for another attack, swinging her staff to keep him from searching for the nuclear weapon.

 _'I DON'T NEED YOU!'_

Everything flashed and suddenly Yaoyorozu was flung backwards until her back collided against the wall painfully, her torso covered in ice which stuck itself against the wall to keep her from escaping. On the ground floor, the heating machines were frozen over, their insides and electricity completely destroyed and their power source cut off. Meanwhile, the dark-haired girl blinked furiously, trying not to let the darkness creep over and slip her into unconsciousness. The back of her head throbbed, but thankfully her back took most of the harsh impact of the wall she was frozen to.

"This fight belongs to the heroes."

With another wave of his arm, the winter wind blew most of the tarp off the inflated ovals to reveal where the main weapon was hiding. And before the tarp could settle as a useless heap on the floor, Shotō stood with a bewildered look painted across his usually indifferent expression.

Standing there instead of poor imitations of the nuclear warhead were black bullet-shaped thing with painted faces of angry eyes and sharp teeth. The image gave him a pang of nostalgia when he used to spot his siblings sitting in front of the television while playing video games with a tiny plumber dodging giant black missiles with the same sharp teeth and angry eyes.

And nowhere could he find the nuclear warhead.

Quickly striding towards the few obscured inflatables, Shotō ripped them off only to find more Bullet Bills glaring back at him. His heterochromic irises danced back and forth around the room, searching desperately for the one that stood out yet no sign of the damn thing!

He was knocked out of his search when a much louder explosion and crash shot through the building. He could hear with great clarity the filth spewing out of Bakugō's mouth as he angrily pursued Sengoku who was quickly gaining on Shotō.

There was right under his damn boots!

Stomping towards the trapped girl, Shotō slammed his right hand on the wall next to her, allowing the ice to expand itself around her. He wasn't going to torture her with pain, that was below a hero to torture criminals and villains alike for information; but he wasn't going to make this comfortable for Yaoyorozu. Immediately, the girl's teeth began to chatter, her exposed flesh pimpled from the cold sapping away her warmth, and her body trembled.

"This is only going to get a lot more unpleasant for you if you don't tell me where the weapon is," he warned her. "Where did you hide it?"

She gritted her teeth, forcing them to cease their noisy chattering.

Shotō glared at her stubborn refusal to cooperate with him. "Don't be stupid in trying to put on a brave act. Besides, didn't All Might warn you not to remove the warhead from outside the—"

He stopped.

Oh.

 _Oh_.

Caught up with the revelation, he missed Yaoyorozu's creation until it was too late. Hearing something tiny click, Shotō was blinded by another flash of white. Hissing at the burning of his retinas, he was unprepared for the kick to his gut which sent him falling blindly backwards. There was sound of ice cracking and he wildly waved his arms towards the direction of the trapped girl, but it sounded like he barely missed her because he could hear her heels rapidly running away from him.

"You're not getting away!" he shouted, sending another wave of ice to capture her.

Struggling to shake away the whites from his eyes, he scrambled to his feet and chased after Yaoyorozu who's red figure wobbled while running across the ice coated floors, but manages to slip through the open doorway.

Shotō was about to cross the threshold of the room, finally making out Yaoyorozu's retreating back that crossed into a different giant room across the hallway—

And suddenly Sengoku was there.

" _'Sup_."

A powerful wall of muscles violently crashed into him, throwing him backwards in the room where he crashed against several Bullet Bills until he was left skidding across the floor. Furiously, Shotō shot back up on his feet, prepared to unleash frozen hell upon his attacker when something on Sengoku's tattered appearance made him hesitate.

There, plastered on his dirty, bloody face with patches of burned pink skin, was an insidious smile that made Shotō's insides seem to shrivel up.

Sengoku was kneeling on the ground, but instead of picking himself back up, he only raised his one arm which began to spark with orange static energy like he had briefly seen in Aizawa-sensei's physical tests. He wasn't aiming towards Shotō... but he wasn't attacking either.

"YOU FUCKING CUNT, I AIN'T DONE WITH YOU!" came Bakugō's raging bellow, his voice bouncing across the hallways with his explosions helping lead him closer to his intended target.

The missing nuclear warhead, Sengoku standing in the middle of the room, Bakugō blowing shit up on the way up here—

Shotō felt his eyes widen, falling down to the floor where he had heard and felt nothing but destruction making its way up in this side of the building. Then his gaze darted back to the person standing in the middle of the room, a manic grin on his face as he awaited for the last person to arrive.

"There you fucking are, you goddamn shithead!" Bakugō appeared, leaping towards Sengoku's back.

" _STOP_!" Shotō found himself shouting. "IT'S A TRAP—!"

Sengoku swung his fist down with a mighty roar of, " ** _SMMAAASH_**!"

And the floor beneath them gave out, sending himself, Sengoku, and Bakugō crashing downwards.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

All Might arrived at the scene, cursing under his breath for having not stopped it. He had no idea the length his student would go to, planning something so risky in an effort to take down two of the other powerful students in his class. The cameras within the building had gone out due to the infrastructure's destruction inside, cutting off half the building's power thus leaving the monitor room half blind with little information to go on. Clouds of dust gathered around the building from the bottom floor where the debris (and potentially trapped students) were.

Holy shit, Shūzenji was going to murder him for this!

"All Might!"

The heard of Class 1-A arrived, all of them having followed him when he ripped out of the monitor room to help his students. All Might barked at them to stay back because he was wary of the building now that it had lost half its support when Sengoku and Bakugō were running around the levels while breaking everything in their path on the way up where Todoroki was.

"Hey, look!" Asui pointed ahead past the Pro hero.

The older man whipped his head, spotting a dark shape in the cloud of dust and debris. With the help of nature's wind, the dust began to clear and everyone else was left to gawk at what was revealed.

Striding towards them in a calm gait, I let out a small huff to adjust Todoroki who was hung over my shoulder while keeping a good grip on Bakugō's straps that I used to carry him without dragging him on the floor. Behind me, Yaoyorozu followed closely while shaking off the frost from her arms and legs.

" _Whoa_..."

Slowing to a stop, I faced All Might, face bloody and costume pretty much ruined; I gave the Pro hero a nod in greeting.

"So, what's the verdict?"

All Might let out a relieved exhale while giving a small head shake, his strained smile softening itself around the edges. His blood that had been rushing wildly in his system, threatening to spill out of his mouth in worry, gradually calmed from rapid tides to a gentle river flow. The sickness that was thick as potent perfume receded, leaving behind warm copper no longer full of anxiety.

"Team G: Yaoyorozu and Sengoku," All Might grinned at me. "WIN!"


	16. Chapter II: The Third Day

**A/N:** Hey fellas, hope you all had a safe Halloween and got lots of treats for yourselves! Hopefully when the next Halloween comes around, we'll be really ahead in the story that I might make a Halloween special story.

 _ **Kami no Kage,**_ You're right, for all I knew, _**0 Jordinio 0**_ was just a kid who didn't know what he was getting into when he started reading this story. Kids don't know much regarding the nature of adult content, especially when it comes to real life issues like a person's mental health because they have expectations of heroes and villains being overly powerful and walking away with their heads screwed on right. Hopefully the change in my summary and rating will ward off any little kids from reading this stuff because this story isn't exactly a happy one to begin with. It's actually suppose to be depressing because of the effects of a single person's actions reverberating to everyone else while pointing out a few things that caught my attention in the manga/anime. And yeah, Japan's disregard of mental health is a real life issue, but Kuzan's mom is from another country who care about a person's well being in both physical and mental; not only that, she's a doctor! Granted, she specializes in physical injuries, but I think people in the medical field are sometimes informed about what to look out for when concerning a patients mental state.

 _ **Prince,**_ I should think All Might is WAY too young to know things like memes and stuff. You and me would be the ancient cryptids who lived in the era of it all while All Might and any old person would be the after-Gen Z generation. I think we're so used to seeing themes of teamwork and friendship in about every shōnen manga that we're taken aback by things like individuality and standing out from the rest of the crowds. I mean, quirks are suppose to be a representation of people being different from others, you know?

 _ **XxlaniidaexX,**_ Thanks for tuning in! I'm one of those people who are sick of reading the typical tragic backstory tropes that have ridiculous reasons that I decided to give it a somewhat realistic approach. I mean, if you're going to have the whole world hate you for some reason, make sure you got something grounding and powerful to back it up, right? And thus the Gunnarsen-Japan conflict was created, sending waves of collapse and disaster for this alternate timeline in the BN/MHA universe.

 _ **ReadingnerdOtaku,**_ I love how people tell me that they're sometimes sitting on the edge of their seats because something that's getting good is getting better until they reach the climax of the story where they're left shocked then gleeful (or sometimes when I'm in the mood to be angsty because this story does contain angst after all), beyond horrified of something their brain is refusing to comprehend.

 _ **PatAbreu,**_ It's absolutely insane how well you're able to see this story as a whole. Like, holy shit dude, what great eyes you've got there! Would you believe me if I said I hadn't realized what I was doing until you pointed it out for me, causing me to look back and think: "Omg, that's true!". Kuzan really is an outsider when it comes to how he behaves. I mean yeah, he's got his memories of his past self living in the Western world, and because he was born in the Scandinavian regions, not to mention his mother being the dominant figure of his life, therefore he's more Western than he is Eastern. Despite his cynical view of the world, and his typically unapproachable appearance, he's very welcome to casual touching (something of which is kind of a big no-no in Japan's culture), as long as it comes from someone he knows and/or trusts.

And gosh, it's true that the way he looks and perceives things that other normal children don't notice will further set him apart from his peers, so that's actually gonna suck since all he wants is to be left alone, lol. As for the whole Bakugō/Kuzan debacle, I'm going to leave it ambiguous for now.

 _ **TRASHKIING,**_ LOL, "Kuzan don't got time to chat!", that's literally the best thing I've read in your review. Yeah, the Momo thing is something I'm gonna treat with a delicate hint of "tsundere" vibes (blame _**SHIPPINGGuest**_ & _**ReadingnerdOtaku**_ ). It won't be obnoxiously handled like where the chick constantly belittles him every chance she gets for whenever he walks in the room or shares the same space as her. It's to build up a healthy relationship between two classmates.

 _ **Musical Bear,**_ I was worried that I made Todoroki too dramatic or Bakugō too ridiculously angry. I'm glad I kept them in a believable spectrum where no one felt something was amiss about their characterization, lol. Here's a One Piece trivia for you regarding the previous chapter: which arc does the battle simulation remind you of? If you guess the first answer correctly, I promise you get to make a prompt which I'll write in "Rubber Band Theory". :)

 _ **AAAAGuest,**_ Hey there, thanks for keeping your screaming to a minimum so it wouldn't break the inbox like my friend **_Prince_** did when she couldn't contain her own excitement, I appreciate that. As for pointing out the perimeters of the battle simulation, you'll just have to read and find out!

 _ **supercomicreader421,**_ Well if you remember the episode where we saw glimpses of everyone participating in their own battle simulation, you would see Momo building a barricade of the door with her and Mineta inside. Kuzan knows that won't be enough to stop to powerhouses like Todoroki and Bakugō, and he didn't have time to waste in having to explain why her plan would be fruitless. She doesn't know the full extent of Bakugō's powers because all her concentration fell on keeping Todoroki away from the goal. I agree with you, Kuzan was being a total dick about it, but he wasn't going to lose because Momo presumed him to be a total idiot due to the bad rep she's only heard through the stories.

 _ **PSYCHOTICGuest,**_ Expect to see more of this unhinged side of Kuzan now and then, buddy.

 _ **amyrosesalientes & FearMeHorror, **_I can write yaoi while making sure to give everyone a fair warning so anyone who isn't looking for boy/boy love can skip the chapter entirely when I release "Rubber Band Theory" since boy love won't be featured in the main storyline (it could be treated as a "what if" in the side-stories). You two cool with that?

 _ **LordofTee,**_ I'm glad people liked the written out fight scenes, even though it involved a lot of running around and explosions and shit, but hey, as long as the people are happy with the outcome, who am I to judge?

 _ **JohnnyHandsome,**_ The whole Todoroki bit where he's in danger of getting frost bitten, that's probably because he didn't have the outfit to restrain the cold. You're most likely referring to the fight between him and Midoriya in the Sports Festival, but I also have to take into account that his costume isn't that reliable either! So what I'll say is that he uses his ice briefly, and it's pretty much inside a building therefore it wouldn't be grand like it was in the Sports Festival. He also had to be careful with his partner who was constantly throwing himself in the way of Todoroki's line fire because Bakugō wants to take down Kuzan himself. Hope this explanation quells your wondering about the ice problem. And yes, to confirm, I am including the Two Heroes storyline into "CHAOTIC" because that movie will play an important role within the story.

 _ **Reversus12,**_ I dunno...

 _ **O-NovelAddict-O,**_ Hey there! Thought I scared you off from the annoying notifications you get, but I'm glad that's not the case. Yeah, I wanted to mix things up because new addition equals to new combinations therefore it applies to real life. Can't expect every little detail to go the same.

 _ **AWESOMEGuest,**_ I wrote everyone else's fights because I wanted to put more numbers on the word count of the story (I always try to stay above the 10,000 word count) because long chapters are considered a treat for readers. I also wanted to show the readers what other skills he had besides having awesome senses and stretching powers because having deduction skills is important, too!

 _ **redskin122004,**_ I just love Luffy's powers because there's more to rubber than just stretching! And with Kuzan getting his inspirations from Luffy's Gum Gum powers, you can count on him to leave his classmates, teachers, and spectators gobsmacked at what he can do once he learns how to harness its powers properly. I've read other fics where Izuku is the one with the rubber powers, but they always rush it like he's already got Second and Third Gear down before he even entered high school, but I want my versions to be where it's slowly discovered and going over the theories and possibilities on how to harness it until properly introducing it into the story. I don't want to take it the easy way, I actually want to take it as the realistic way as I can.

 _ **Ferna52,**_ I'm so glad you like it!

 _ **Mr. Beaver Buttington,**_ *smiles outwardly while screaming internally*

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter II: Part VI**

 **.**

* * *

Under normal circumstances, when people win at something, there's a sense of accomplishment and pride in their endeavor to succeed. Following the victory high, celebrations both small and big could be shared between families and close friends. Often times, the winner would wave their victory around like it's a flag that deserves its own national anthem in honor of the person, but thankfully they were balanced out by the type who took their victory with grace and humble gratitude. Winning would sometimes even cause the person to reflect and look back on their past, to remember what made them work so hard to be where they're standing now.

Usually, that's what winning feels like.

But how did I feel when I won the battle simulation?

Not so great if I'm being honest.

Next question: why did I not consider it an achievement to be proud of?

Because, I thought as rubbed my bloody temple in a poor attempt to keep the growing migraine at bay, it wasn't worth _this_.

Todoroki looked like he was seconds away from sending everyone into another Ice Age, meanwhile Bakugō was visibly trembling from how furious he was over the loss of the battle simulation that the others gave the volatile student a wide berth. Kind of stupid to think that because I knew for a fact Bakugō wouldn't dare lose his shit when outside the ring because of the school's strict policy on students assaulting one another outside of training, and even then teachers had to keep a look out for anything amiss between their students.

My nose wiggled slightly at the heavy scent of spicy cinnamon and nitroglycerin smothering the area, further increasing the growth of my incoming migraine. I winced when my fingers brushed roughly over a cut, and I pull my hand back to see my gloves absorbing the blood.

"Sengoku-san, are you alright?" Iida hurried over to my side with Uraraka following his heels.

"This isn't a big dea—" I started to say but karate boy already changed his direction towards Bakugō.

The ash blond was seething in his spot while hunching over as if he was about to keel over and die from the fact that he lost in the battle simulation. "The gross use of your quirk was unnecessary! You could've seriously injured your classmate!"

"Shut the fuck up, you four-eyed extra!" Bakugō snarled viciously at the bespectacled boy before turning his eyes on the main target: me. "The only reason he looks like he's been barbecued extra crispy is because he wasn't taking this fight seriously at all! The only fucking thing he did was run around like a goddamn headless chicken! HE WASN'T EVEN _TRYING_ TO FIGHT BACK!"

"What are you talking about, dude?" Kaminari and Kirishima looked between Bakugō and I.

"He's right," I admitted while wiping at the thick red line which almost entered my eye. "I wasn't really fighting back all that much, but that's only because I wanted him to do all the work for me."

"Umm," Jirō blinked like she'd been told Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny were in fact real. "What?"

"What work?" Shōji questioned from the back of the smaller students.

"This is the part where we review over the battle, right?" I turned to All Might. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to tell everyone what the whole point of that fight was about, otherwise we'll be standing out here all day long."

" _Hey_!" several of the kids protested once they caught on to the small slight, but they were ignored.

"The whole plan was done so recklessly." Yaoyorozu remarked as she crossed her arms.

Something quickly flashed across the girl's face, and it reminded me of a person making a face when they sucked on a really sour lemon. I rolled my eyes at her, but she was too busy trying to warm herself to take notice of it.

"In the end, Sengoku was right." I raised both brows. I guess that explained why she was making such a face. "My barricade didn't do much to hold Todoroki back."

"That was so awesome how you guys left the bomb in the other room!" Ashido quickly gushed, her face threatening to split in half from how wide she was grinning.

That bit of information made Bakugō stand up straight from his hunched glowering. "What the fuck are you talking about? Did you move the weapon out of the room?! You're not suppose to do that, you dumb shitheads!"

"No," Todoroki glowered at the ash blond, interrupting his little tirade. "The weapon was in the _right_ room, they just diverted our attention to the wrong one. And because you were too busy chasing after Sengoku, you just costed us the battle."

"Anyway!" All Might boomed while putting himself between the frustrated Todoroki and angry Bakugō. "Young Sengoku and Yaoyorozu! Would you be so kind as to explain to everyone how your plans helped you win the battle?"

"Originally, all Yaoyorozu wanted to do was create a barricade on the door and lock us both inside the room. That plan would've failed in epic proportions because while she was taking Todoroki's threat level seriously, she disregarded Bakugō. A big mistake that would've costed her a victory had she been partnered up with someone else."

"Yeah, I imagine Bakugō would've blown up a wall, ya know? Make another entrance to get to the room?" Hagakure said.

"Exactly. Our biggest problem was how the "hero" team would approach the building." I explained to my classmates while rubbing at the drying blood on my face. I was going to need a shower after this. "Yaoyorozu expected Todoroki to lead his team, and she also suspected that he'd most likely freeze the entire building until me and her were frozen to the floor. If not that, then create enough ice to surround us with, making the fight against him a lot harder. The whole building would've become his turf in a matter of seconds."

"But that's not what happened." Ashido said.

"That's not what happened." I echoed the pinkette. "Yaoyorozu didn't take Bakugō into account."

"He was the first one to go inside the building." Uraraka chimed in.

I nodded. "That's exactly what I was counting on him to do."

" _What_?" Todoroki snapped his eyes towards me.

"I have pretty good ears, so it wasn't all that hard to hear your little commotion outside." I said as I tapped at my ears to implicate I was listening in to their squabble earlier. "You were told not to attack each other, and it helped that Bakugō was eager to get first servings before Todoroki did. This prevented Todoroki from using his quirk to the maximum."

"Holy crap!" Mineta gawked at us. "You guys were thinking that far ahead?!"

"It wasn't just taking steps to stay ahead of the opponent," Yaoyorozu asserted to the audience. "There was also a bit of manipulation involved."

"Manipulation?" everyone parroted.

"I was waiting in the hall for Todoroki's arrival on purpose, pretending to be caught unaware of his sudden appearance. It's a tactic I've seen in several nature documentaries where once the prey starts to run, the predator will instinctively follow them in an effort to capture their food. Todoroki immediately chased after me when I ran. That's what we were hoping he'd do."

Satō, who had his yellow mask off, was rubbing his broad chin in a thoughtful manner. "It sounds like you guys were only expecting Todoroki to show up, not Bakugō."

"Yes," Iida agreed. "I noticed you only created heaters to keep the room warm enough that it doesn't freeze over entirely when Todoroki used his quirk, but no signs of creating anything to protect yourself against Bakugō's explosions."

"That's because we were hoping he'd ignore the goal. Instead, he'd focus on fighting and capturing the "villain" to end the battle." I explained to the karate boy and the rest. "His dominant personality and confrontational attitude helped me build a sort of map of what sort of person he is on the battlefield: he's the kind of guy who'll deal with the cause before handling the symptoms if you catch my drift. The whole plan depended on Bakugō, so I was pretty glad it worked out to our favor."

"You call that working out?" Sero gave my bloodied and tattered appearance a pointed stare.

"So we were right; there was something personal going on between the two of you." Asui chimed in.

"Personal? I don't have anything personal against Bakugō." I corrected the frog girl. "If you're wondering about me and him sharing a history, then yes, we did have a past. But that's all it was: a past. And if this fight between me and him felt personal to him, I'd be an idiot not to take advantage of someone who's been emotionally compromised."

"You must always remember to keep a cool head in a fight," All Might cautioned the students. "You'll come across villains who will try to manipulate you through personal taunts and attacks. The moment you lose yourself to their tactics, you'll be in serious trouble."

"Anyway, I was only expecting him to recognize me and my quirk's abilities, letting Bakugō assume that he had the upper hand in taking me on himself without Todoroki interfering. And since I didn't make a blip on Todoroki's radar, I took advantage of his underestimation and pushed him back long enough for my partner to be ready when he finally got past me."

I paused for a moment when I remembered the guy's other quirk that had been completely absent the entire time of the battle simulation.

"It also helped that Todoroki willingly handicapped himself. It made the job a lot easier to take him and his partner down." I continued on. "That really would've sucked for the heroes had this been a real life scenario."

Whether the jab was unintentional or not, my remark still earned another chilling glare from the teal/gray-eyed boy who was determined to turn me into a block of ice with the power of intense gaze alone. On the other side of All Might, Bakugō became uncharacteristically still and quiet, his spiky bangs obscuring his red gaze. I eyed him for a moment, wondering briefly what was going on in his head while also hoping he wouldn't prove me wrong by attacking me outside of training, when I was brought back to the discussion.

"But Yaoyorozu was right: what Sengoku did was reckless. You made half of the building's floors collapse in order to create a distance between the nuclear warhead and the heroes. Don't you think your tactic was bordering on the extreme side?" Ojiro asked.

"Well," Uraraka gently interjected. "It seemed like Sengoku was only targeting a few of the support beams. If he had gone for all of them, it wouldn't be the floors but pretty much the entire half of the building. Too much loss on one side would have sent the other side tipping over, leading the building to collapse on everyone inside."

I probably looked like idiot when I stared at her, but I couldn't help myself. So far, she seemed like the stereotypical bubbly girl who held high hopes of being a hero (just like any other kid in this course) wanting to serve a hot plate of justice, so I was kind of taken aback to discover that she was... smart? Looked like there was more to the rosy-cheeked brunette than I initially realized.

"My family works in the construction business, so I kind of know a thing or two on how the buildings are set up," the brunette suddenly blushed under the scrutiny of her fellow classmates. "It's a smart move."

I was no expert when it came to understanding the skeletal framework of a building, and the plan kind of came up at the spur of a moment (not to mention from a plot arc derived from my favorite anime), so it was kind of a big relief to know that it all turned out okay despite how random the whole thing kind of was. With Uraraka giving the concerned students some reassurance of the insane plan to blow holes through the building's floors from my One for All powered punch, everyone backed off from wanting to pick apart the stunt. Behind my blank exterior, I almost wanted to let out a huge sigh of relief from dodging the bullet on that argument.

"But Sengoku wasn't the one targeting the support beams..." Kaminari scrunched his face confusion. "That was Bakugō."

"Yes," Tokoyami nodded. "That's most likely what Sengoku had intended from the start. Using Bakugō's quirk in order to set up the collapse of the building's floors. Had he actively gone and done it himself, Bakugō might've suspected something was going on and would have informed his partner... I think."

There was a quiet moment where everyone shared uncertain glanced with one another. From the short amount of time they've known each other, already people were beginning to pick up a pattern when it came to the heavily aggressive ash blond teen. They might have been too polite to say out loud, but I could see the cogs and gears in their heads turning a bit, some of them beginning to question if Bakugō had intended to aid his partner? Would the explosive boy rushed if Todoroki called for back up? Or would Bakugō unload what he deemed was dead weight and carry on the mission alone?

A long time ago, I probably would've been thinking along the same lines as everyone else...

"Pick the easiest target, push the right buttons, carefully set up the trap without anyone's notice, and you can turn the tables on your opponents without them even realizing what they've walked into." I rubbed the back of my head. "I imagine that's something a villain would do. Fighting someone by matching your power against their power is easy, the hard part is matching their intelligence."

"Kind of dirty, if you ask me." Kirishima grumbled.

"You either fight honorably and get yourself killed or fight dirty to live another day." I shrugged but winced from the pain of pulling at the burned patches of my skin. "Nobody cares about honor or fairness out in the real world. You get in somebody's way, be it intentional or not, and you'll become another number in the statistics of collateral damage."

From the corner of my eye, I could see All Might briefly glancing at my direction. The discussion was probably becoming a bit too morbid for his liking; yet how else were you suppose to inform these kids about the dangers lurking around in the city when they weren't chasing after purse-snatchers and carjackers? The moment they decided to be heroes was the moment they needed to be told what exactly was waiting for them out in the real world.

It would be illogical and pointless to sugar coat the harsh truth from them.

"It's kind of insane how Sengoku got Bakugō to chase after him while making sure the hero would unknowingly destroy the support beams on the way up to the top floor!" Hagakure spoke, probably to change the subject back to the battle assessment. "And Yaoyorozu! I honestly thought for a second Todoroki was going to ignore you and look around the other rooms!"

"Yeah! It was like we were sitting on the edge of our seats when we saw him walk past the open door where the freaking bomb was!" Sero jumped in with Hagakure. "All I could think was _don't turn around_ , _don't turn around_!"

"I had to trick Todoroki into believing that I was holding the "weapon" in the "right" room." Yaoyorozu's face reddened a little from their praises. "All Might warned us not to remove the weapon from the room it was in, and the floors that Sengoku needed to collapse where in the next area, so that's why—"

"The chasing, yes." Iida finished. "Very clever strategy indeed! I suppose watching the previous battles forced you two to think outside the norm in order to deceive Todoroki, leading him astray from where the actual weapon was."

"This entire fight depended on Bakugō." I nodded my head to where the silent teen was still standing. "You could say he was the key to mine and Yaoyorozu's victory."

Ashido released a small huff of laughter. "You would've made for some scary villain!"

"Sengoku, the evil mastermind~!" Kaminari wiggled his fingers in a creepy manner, only to get a sharp jab from Jirō. " _Ouch_!"

"Yeah, no kidding." Ojiro's tail lazily draped over his own shoulder. "That takes some serious devious thinking."

I turned away from the others and asked the giant blond, "Class is over, right?"

All Might opened his mouth—

"What the hell is this bullshit?" came a quiet, angry demand from beside the blond giant.

"And we're done." I declared, feeling more than eager to leave the urban city behind.

With the blood starting to dry on my skin, my head feeling loopy and light due to said blood coating my arms and face, and having to walk all the way back to the school in search of Recovery Girl's office, I was by this point beyond tired. I was dirty, bloody, hurting, hungry, and probably a couple of minutes away from passing out, so the last thing I wanted to deal with was an argument. I wanted a shower, I wanted Recovery Girl to patch me up, I wanted to go home, I want to eat, and I wanted to conk out the second my head landed on the comforts of my fluffy pillows.

But like life tended to remind me, I wasn't allowed to have nice things.

Angry footsteps rushed towards me from behind until a hand roughly snatched the back of my collar, yanking it back hard enough to almost send me sprawling backwards. Bakugō's anger was like the kind of heat that threatened a person locked inside a car in the middle of summer.

"Hey, hey, break it up!" somebody—was it Hagakure?—yelled from the group.

"Dude, chill out! It's just training!"

"Maiming other students is not allowed in school, Bakugō!" Iida cried from the back.

"Young Bakugō!" All Might joined the protest, his footsteps moving quickly towards us.

"Nothing personal? Only sharing the same history?! What are you, a _fucking robot_?!" Bakugō snarled at the back of my head. "Since when the hell did you have the strength to make concrete buildings collapse?! You had to have been moving your rubber like a sling shot to do that, but all you fucking did was give it one good punch to send us all to hell!"

I froze.

"The battle's over, young man!" All Might reached for Bakugō, but the boy roughly pushed it aside so he could give me a rough shake.

"What the fuck did you do, Kuzan?!" the teen demanded. "Don't go acting all high and mighty! Don't act like I don't know you, you fucking crybaby!"

After a pause, slowly I twisted my head to look down at the red-eyed boy who continued to glare up at me, gloved fingers still clutching tightly onto the fabric of my torn shirt. No longer wearing a blank faced mask, a sudden sharpness adorned my expression, tangerine orbs looking at the other boy as if he was an insect that I couldn't help but want to study with a magnifying glass. The others tensed up, definitely waiting for another nasty fight to break out between the two of us since it looked like I was about to throw the first swing.

However, violence was the last thing I wanted to act on.

With a careful pivot of my battered frame, I took my time to turn my body until I was directly facing the angry ash blond boy. I stared at him, taking my time to roll my eyes over his scratched cheeks, neck, arms, his ruffled clothes, the dirt clinging onto his costume and skin until finally flying back to his angry little red irises.

"Know me?"

I mouthed the words, treating it as if it was a new language I struggled to learn but couldn't translate clearly to my understanding.

Taking a small step forward, I was beginning to invade Bakugō's personal space, my height becoming more emphasized as I inched closer to him; my gaze began to wander upward while my tongue squirmed inside the cavern of my mouth, causing my cheeks to stretch out somewhat. To the outsider's point of view, I looked like somebody who was tasting something new and couldn't decide on whether I liked it or not.

Head tilting slightly to the side, my gaze fell back to the other boy once more.

"You know me?"

"Of course I know you, you dumbass!" Bakugō yelled.

My hand slowly wrapped itself around his wrist, the very one he was using to clutch my collar.

"That's strange," I said, lowering my head until I was inches away from his face. " _I don't know you_."

My cold words instantly wiped the anger from Bakugō's face. His glaring eyes turned wide with shock, his furrowed brows and snarling mouth vanishing as well. All that was left was a boy caught off guard.

The silence was absolutely deafening.

"What? Did you think a few classes and birthday parties made you an expert?" I paused, pretending to look as though an epiphany took root in my head just now. "Or maybe you were expecting things to play out like they always did back then. Do you remember? All the kids saying how cool your quirk was when it first manifested? How everyone wanted to be on your team because you kept winning on the playground? How everyone just wanted to be your best friend? Do you remember everyone saying how special, how lucky, how _perfect_ you were because of you quirk?"

A small but cruel smile blossomed on my face.

"Aren't you suppose to be the better man, Bakugō?" I slowly cocked my head to the side again. "Didn't you run off on your own because you were too good for the rest of us? Too good for a little _crybaby_?"

The heat coiling and swarming all around us slowly began to recede, the air gradually becoming colder with each passing second as my mouth continued to spill more venom tainted words in the ash blond boy's face. Bakugō's tight grip on my shirt slackened until it was weakly clinging on, allowing me the opportunity to remove them with a simple tug of his wrist.

"I grew up alongside you, went through the same experiences as you did, shared some part of my life with you," I paused, taking another gander at his appearance. "But now—you're nothing more than a stranger to me. You've been growing up without me, you've gone and experienced things without me, and you'll continue to live your life without me."

It was tiny, incredibly subtle, but the change of his physical maturity was there for me to take brief notice. There no longer stood a scowling brat who's baby fat cheeks puffed a little when irritated or on the verge of screaming his head off, what stood before me was sharp edges and muscles from hours spent working out in the gym and training their body to take the force of his own blasts.

"I don't know you, Bakugō Katsuki," I finally pulled away from his face whilst maintaining eye contact with the wide red orbs. "And you certainly don't know _me_."

...

The walk back to the main school building was spent in awkward silence. There was a few hushed murmurs going on between the other kids, but I didn't care to listen to their gossip. Besides, given the quick glances they aimed towards me and the ash blond, it wasn't all that hard to figure out what they were talking about.

Second day in school and already there was teenage drama.

I glanced over to All Might who was trailing behind the entire class.

The heat was starting to pick up on the surface of his skin, and I spotted a few dots of sweat gathering around his forehead. He probably had less than an hour to maintain his muscular form before scurrying off somewhere private to deflate. Sensing my gaze on him, All Might slowly made his way over to where I was (I was also lagging behind the group to keep a distance between myself and Bakugō).

The older man kept a wary eye on the entire class, pretending that he was simply wandering place to place rather than trying to strike up a private conversation. If he was so worried about someone listening in, he ought to have waited after school where he and I could do that without any hassling from the others.

"That was cruel of you."

I almost wanted to roll my eyes. Not the first time I heard All Might calling me an insensitive jerk.

When I looked back, the older man was staring elsewhere. A little curious of what got his attention, I followed his line of sight: a silent Bakugō walking between the tape guy and redhead. The two boys looked as though they were trying to cheer him up from his funk with how animated their movements and faces were, but they were largely ignored.

It was as if Bakugō couldn't see or hear anything, deaf and blind to the outside while his body moved on autopilot to follow the flow of the class guiding him back to the school building.

"He was suspicious," I whispered under my breath, trusting All Might to catch it. "He knew something was off when I used One for All to collapse the floors."

All Might's head whipped towards me so fast I heard something creak in his neck, but my attention immediately absorbed the shock written plainly on his chiseled face.

"He's not entirely stupid," I said while keeping an eye on the other students to make sure no one was paying any attention. "He pretty much knows the extent of my abilities, and he's aware that my father's bloodline on super strength is getting weaker with every new generation. He was right when he said that I need to gain momentum in order to do some serious damage when I'm aiming to destroy a concrete building."

"Shit," All Might cursed under his breath. "Is there a way you can explain this new development to him?"

"Why do you think I pissed him off back there?" I gestured to the urban city behind us. "The only thing saving me right now was our separation from years ago, so he has no idea what I've been doing all this time. If he pushed for answers..."

The blond winced when he caught on to the implication, "He could've gone to your mother. She would known something was wrong if you tried to lie to her."

I nodded. The last thing I wanted was mom getting suspicious of me and my increase of strength.

All Might shot Bakugō another worrying glance.

"Trust me, better to leave him angry than suspicious." I told the older man.

"That doesn't look like leaving him angry." All Might observed.

Apparently, today was a day where no one was pleased with the actions I took to secure a victory or a diversion from the truth.

Not feeling up for another round of arguing, especially against the beefy paragon of virtue himself, I ended the conversation by picking up the pace of my strides. It was about time, too, because I spotted a couple kids looking back with questioning looks on their faces, and the last thing I needed was some of these brats wondering what the hell me and the Symbol of Peace were whispering back and forth about. We seriously needed to make ourselves obvious.

"Hey, is that Aizawa-sensei?"

Like a herd of spooked gazelles, we all raised our heads to spot a dark figure making their way towards us.

"I wonder if he's going to expel us." Asui pondered out loud.

"Oh c'mon...!"

" _Are you serious_?!"

"Now, now," All Might placated the children as he moved through them to get to the front. "Let's not jump into conclusions. I'm going to see what your homeroom teacher wants."

The number one hero jogged ahead of us to meet Aizawa halfway—only for the underground hero to ignore him completely as if he was another decoration on the school's campus. I felt both my brows rise at the homeroom teacher's blatant dismissal of the giant blond, but I knew I had no room to talk when it came to interacting with people.

Even while logically knowing this, I felt my hackles rise a little in All Might's defense. Yes, the big guy was over the top and sometimes obnoxious, but he could also be quiet and peaceful when not hounded by a bunch of rabid fans seeking his attention. And wasn't the faculty already made aware of his true form? U.A. had to have obviously been informed of the situation in order to help All Might conceal the truth from the public, and there was no way the blond could last when school took _hours_ , time which All Might was slowly losing.

Did Aizawa still perceive All Might as a nuisance when he wasn't running around his bulky form? For a guy who claimed to be rational and detached of his surroundings, he sure was caught up with All Might's image rather than the individual behind it.

Several students greeted the teacher when he came close enough, meanwhile I kept my head down to avoid catching his unwanted attention. Anyone could say it was only my paranoia and negative encounters with the teacher talking, but my gut instinct was telling me to lay low because there was shark swimming around and sniffing for blood.

And guess who was bleeding?

Much to my chagrin, the shark caught my scent and went for the kill. A pale hand grabbed me by the arm (the one with the fewer scratches and burn patches, how thoughtful), jerking me to an abrupt halt. Once again, dark eyes bored holes into me from behind the curtain of dark hair and white wraps.

"You are going to pack up your belongings and leave the school's premises." Aizawa coldly commanded. "You're expelled from my class and this school."

I stared him.

What?

" _What_?!" All Might hurried over to us while being careful not to crush any of the gawking kids in his way.

"So you didn't know?" Aizawa peered over his shoulder to All Might. "Do you even bother to check every application and registration of your students? What am I asking? Of course you didn't. You're exactly the type of person who'll overlook a student running around in the danger zone in an unfit costume."

All Might blundered at every slight thrown at him by the other man.

"Sensei!" Iida exclaimed, stepping closer to mine and the teacher's direction. "I was made aware of the situation when I confronted him about it! I was even going to take Sengoku to the Support Studio afterwards—!"

"Oh, and you didn't think to inform All Might or myself of the situation?" Aizawa glared at the bespectacled teen. "You _had_ to wait after he came out of the battle simulation looking like this?!"

The armored teen flinched, regret swimming in his coral red hues.

"Aizawa-san," All Might began to say but the ink-haired man dismissed him.

"Did you think you can come to this school and do as you please?" Aizawa demanded when he returned his attention on me.

I ducked my head to keep myself from looking up see everyone's faces contorting into gleeful smiles. You would think that after everything I was used to this sort of treatment, where the teacher called me out, forced me to stand in front of my peers, and proceeded to dress me down by pointing at each and every flaw, sometimes coming up with things on the spot just because they could.

But I still felt their words dig in more deeply than any knife could.

I still felt my face flush in humiliation from their eyes turning gleeful, their smiles twisting, their giggling barely stifled behind their teeth, and their laughter echoing inside my head whilst I stood there getting pelted by figurative vegetables.

"That's not... It's not what you think." I tried to explain, but my words were weak and failing to come out like my throat was cut off.

The ink-haired man scoffed.

"Let me guess: U.A.'s workshop isn't up to par because what you want for your costume is much more advance and costly, so then you decide the next best thing is to bring in your own homemade costume." Aizawa angrily bit out. "Gosh Sengoku, I wonder who's fault that is?"

My body jerked back as though it'd been roughly shoved away from the force of the teacher's words alone.

In a blink of an eye, I was no longer facing angry dark orbs but a blue cape hanging from All Might's broad back.

"That's _enough_ , Aizawa!" All Might snapped angrily. "If there's a personal issue then—"

"The issue is that Sengoku is disrespectful to authority and he thinks he's above going through the process—"

"He's just worried his costume will be sabotaged!"

Iida's voice broke through once again, bravely cutting in between the arguing teachers.

A pregnant pause fell over.

I could feel my heart racing, my breathing suddenly faint as if I was sucking in air through a straw.

"Care to repeat that?"

"He was just... He was worried about registering for a costume because he has a history of his belongings being sabotaged." Iida carefully clarified. "It wasn't out of disrespect or arrogance towards the school, sir. He expressed serious concerns about the possibility of his gear being tampered with. It's why I volunteered to help him."

Suspense lingered over our heads.

My body tipped forward and my head was pressed against the small of the Pro hero's back. Everything was getting blurry, getting fainter and dull as the seconds rolled by.

"Please," Iida quietly implored. "Don't punish him for something he has no control over."

"Students, return to class." All Might gently commanded. "Young Iida, please take Sengoku to the nurse's office before he passes out."

Moments later, hands pulled me up from All Might's back and began to guide me around the bigger male and return our trek towards the building. Iida wrapped one arm around my waist while pulling my own over his shoulder. I was walking but I was struggling to keep my eyes open.

I looked over my shoulder.

All Might watched me go.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

 **. Toshinori .**

* * *

Shūzenji released a heavy sigh as she flopped back against her office chair.

Toshinori leaned against her desk, arms crossed as his eyes stared across the room. He kept an ear out in case anyone approached the nurse's office, something of a habit he developed ever since he started to lose weight from the multiple surgeries he went through. He should have gone and changed out of his costume if he wanted to avoid explaining why there was a scrawny guy wearing All Might's suit, but he couldn't be bothered to go through the motions to rid the cape and suit.

Lying on one of the medical beds of the office space, Sengoku Kuzan slept while the two watched over him. After Iida delivered him under Shūzenji's care, the old woman healed the worst of his injuries but left the remaining scrapes to heal naturally or otherwise his already exhausted form would end up falling into a coma. He watched in silence as the old woman gently patted the boy's cheek after finishing her last check of his remaining scrapes, throwing away several bloodied pads she used to clean the boy's face then pushing her chair away from his bedside to return to her desk which was littered with paperwork.

"That fool." Shūzenji huffed.

The blond felt his blood boil at the memory of what happened earlier in the afternoon, his fingers tightening over the crumpled fabric of his old costume.

"I swear, I almost came close to busting Aizawa's head right there in front of the kids." Toshinori scowled. "What he said was...!"

"This isn't exactly easy for everyone, Toshinori," the older woman gently reminded him. "It especially doesn't help that you brought in the relative of that prick."

His scowl deepened. "You make it sound like I chose him for shits and giggles."

"Didn't you?" Recovery Girl turned to him, a thin brow raised.

The older man turned his angry eyes on the wall across from him, his imaginary hackles rising at her biting words.

The elderly woman released another sigh. "No, of course you wouldn't do something like give One for All to Aksel's grandson because you thought everyone's reaction would be priceless."

Slowly, Toshinori's gaze returned on the petite elderly.

"I know he's a good kid. Even going so far to risk his own life to save several students when they had been afflicted with the drug," Shūzenji removed her eye-shield to pinch the space between her eyes. "I just think you should've went with Nighteye's choice, to be honest."

"It's not his fault!" Toshinori argued. "What happened to this country is not his fault! Hell, it's not even his mother and father's fault either!"

"Try telling that to the men and women who lost their friends, families, and comrades. Try telling that to every patient suffering in the hospitals. Try telling that to the people on the _streets_."

Even knowing that it wasn't meant to be mean, it still made him flinch as though he was accused of an awful crime he did not commit. Realizing the affect of her words, the elderly woman clamped her mouth shut and looked away to stare at the paper and tablets on her work desk. For awhile, the two did not speak. A minute later in the silence surrounding them, Recovery Girl spoke.

"I don't condone Aizawa's behavior... but I don't blame him either." Shūzenji released a sigh. "You barely came back from America when we got cut off. There was... there was so many children _dying_ out there on the field during their internships. Do you remember that? I thought we were heading back into the dark ages."

He closed his eyes, guilt climbing up his chest and throat like blood about to spill itself. He remembered seeing the reports, the high mortality rate that rose after the country lost its support. When he returned from America, it was like he had entered a war zone. Too many baby-faced heroes running around, blood on their hands and costumes as they struggled to keep the country up on its legs.

His phantom stomach twisted at the memory of seeing children carrying their dead, or at least recovering what little remained of their comrades; their eyes utterly devoid of emotion because this was something they had to deal with on a daily basis. They had to learn at such an early age that crying wouldn't help, that their loved ones were beyond help and had to move on to aid those still breathing and living, that there was nothing else to do but push onward.

 _There was an ink-haired boy, scrawny and a little on the shorter side. He was kneeling beside someone. The boy was compressing their chest, struggling to save their life as the multiple ambulances hurried over to the desolated location. However, their body continued to fail them as their skin paled by the passing minute. Still, the boy continued on with his endeavor even when another boy in a red suit tried to stop him._

 _It was too late for the poor unfortunate soul, but the boy in the black jumpsuit desperately continued his attempts to revive them. When the teen refused to budge and cease his useless actions,_ _All Might had to finally go over and physically remove the boy so that the people could move the body aside._

 _The teen put up a fight, scratching and kicking his feet as he screamed to be left alone to save his comrade, but the body was already being carried away to join the dozens of recovered corpses hidden beneath the tarp sheets._

"I'm going to ask Principal Nedzu if there's someone who can fill in for Aizawa's position, or if there's at least a way we can exchange a student from Class B," he told the doctor. "Aizawa clearly cannot stand the boy's presence and Sengoku-kun doesn't need another authority figure breathing down his neck."

"Yes, it's for the best." Shūzenji agreed. "Kan's got a level head on him. He'll treat the kid fairly."

"That's exactly what Nedzu said about Aizawa, yet here we are." Toshinori shook his head. "I won't hold my breath with Kan."

"Well, Toshinori, we all can't have nice things." Shūzenji huffed. "Nobody's a perfect saint."

The blond looked back to the floor again.

"Can I tell you something?"

"I'm all ears." Recovery Girl motioned him as she started to fix her desk.

"When I first met Sengoku-kun, kid was being suffocated by that sludge villain that you saw in the news. The one who held young Bakugō hostage." Toshinori described to the elderly doctor. "I saved him, and well, you know how it goes. I try to cheer up the victims and laugh the whole thing off, make sure they're coherent enough to look for help."

The memory was so easy to picture, even after a year later. Every detail clear to him in his mind's eye as if he was watching it in high definition. It was if a photo imprinted inside the memory of his brain.

"And as I played my dance and song, the boy looks at me and says, _what is wrong with you_?" Toshinori turned his head to find Shūzenji leaning against her chair with her fingers laced together across her lap. "Then he started to yell at me."

"Too proud to be rescued?"

"No, not at all," Toshinori shook his head. "He yelled at me for risking my life so carelessly every day when I go out in the cities and streets. He yelled at me for not caring about the thousands of villains out there who wanted me dead. He yelled at me for laughing off everything when some part of me deep down had to have felt fear."

Toshinori watched as his bony fingers pulled at the crumpled sleeves of his baggy costume.

"A kid who barely escaped with his life yelled at All Might to save himself."

His blue irises drifted back to boy who continued to sleep away, oblivious to his and Shūzenji's presence. Young Sengoku's chest slowly rose then fell with every breath that came and went.

"Wherever I go, people always cheer for me because they always know I'll win every fight I get myself into. Occasionally, I'll come across other heroes aiming for the number one spot who throw these little backhanded comments. Or sometimes, somebody'll actually tell me up in front that I'm a media attention grabbing whore."

Toshinori continued to stare at the rising and falling chest.

"And yet a child, a young stranger who has no inkling of the truth, yelled at me, the Symbol of Peace, to go save myself."

"He was also there when Bakugō was taken hostage, correct?"

"He was the only one to move when everyone else stood frozen. The heroes couldn't help him, _I_ couldn't help him. I was too busy thinking how useless and powerless I was to save the boy." Toshinori released a quiet chuckle. "And there he was again. Same kid who yelled at me earlier went running in there to save young Bakugō."

Then his good mood dialed back to somberness.

"When the heroes started to get after him for his interference, the kid started yelling at them and accusing the spectators for enjoying the sick, twisted show of a child nearly getting killed in front of them. He even told them to stop expecting me to swoop in and save the day every time things went bad for them. He told them to stop depending on All Might so much because he wasn't the sole solution to everything. They are the heroes who are suppose to protect the common people of the nation."

"Well, he's not entirely wrong about that." Shūzenji responded.

" _He's a human_ _being_ , _and even humans have expiration dates_." Toshinori echoed his successor's words. "That's what he said to the heroes."

"The boy had no idea and yet he was right on point." Shūzenji glanced at the teen. "This was when you approached him."

He nodded.

He of course ended up getting rejected. It left Toshinori to stew in his own juices, worried and disheartened when the boy bolted after seeing his true form. And then Toshinori chanced upon him in a grocery store; he felt like a fool for offering a pathetic wave across the aisles. Hope suddenly came in the form of a woman and her daughter, the little girl rudely pointing at him and the mother throwing the blond dirty looks as if he was evil incarnate.

They were instantly shut down as Sengoku-kun barked at the mother and her child, sending them scurrying off. It was rude but Toshinori appreciated the kindness of someone standing up for him while walking around in his gaunt form.

Since then, the two of them became close companions and it further cemented in his belief that he found the person who he believed would succeed him.

"I sometimes find myself thinking how hard his life must have been as grew up with that sort of pressure constantly weighing over his head. And sometimes I understand it, what it's like to be ostracized for something that you couldn't help being born with."

"Of course you understand his situation." Shūzenji said. "It's what every quirkless individual goes through. The difference however is that you didn't have a whole country pitted against you."

Toshinori frowned.

"You know, he told me why he rejected my offer of One for All; he said it's because he believed someone quirkless ought to be the one to succeed me."

The doctor perked up from her office chair. "Really?"

"Someone who was born with power would forget what it means to be burdened with it, so they don't treat it responsibly. However, a person who's been weak all their life would respect its power." Toshinori smiled. "That's what he told me."

"... Did you pick him because he reminds you of _her_?"

Before he could formulate a response to Shūzenji's question that made his heart freeze up, movement from outside the office forced him to instinctively call upon his powerful form. Seconds later, the door slid open and Uraraka barely stepped a toe inside when she stopped at the sight of All Might standing awkwardly next to Recovery Girl's desk where several papers began to settle from the slight draft his transformation created.

"Is there something you need, dear?" Recovery Girl prompted the brunette.

"Ah, sorry, I just wanted to bring Sengoku's belongings. The day is almost over, so..." the girl pulled up a dark backpack.

"Very thoughtful of you, young lady." Toshinori grinned. "I'm sure young Sengoku will appreciate your kind gesture."

The girl hesitated from stepping out the door.

"Is Sengoku getting expelled?"

"No." Toshinori quickly reassured the brunette. "It was a misunderstanding, and hopefully it'll be the last one between Aizawa and young Sengoku."

"Don't worry about your classmate, dear," Recovery Girl smiled. "Now run along to class."

With a glance to the unconscious boy, the girl nodded and headed out the office. Waiting a minute after he footsteps receded, Toshinori looked back to the older woman who waved her wrist towards the door.

"Go ahead and get changed, Toshinori. Otherwise you'll really tire yourself out."

Knowing she was right and he was no use to her by standing around doing nothing, Toshinori decided it was best he went his own way. Giving a goodbye nod to the doctor, the blond swiftly made his way back to the teacher's lounge.

Tomorrow, he was going to have a long discussion with Principal Nedzu.

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The next day, a crowd of reporters gathered at the school's entrance.

The previous day after school, All Might accompanied me on the trip back home; he was still worried I'd pass out on the street because of how I exhausted I was even after resting in Recovery Girl's office. I was thankful for the old doctor's treatment in erasing the worst of my injuries, but because I was on my last legs, a few scrapes here and there were left for my body to mend for themselves. I was littered with colorful band-aids (All Might had fun sticking the Fat Gum and All Might brands on me) over my arms and some parts of my face. Thankfully, it wasn't bad enough to draw too much concern from my parents.

Once we came close to my neighborhood, the house waiting right around the corner for me, All Might once again ambushed me—with an apology.

 _"I'm sorry about what happened today, young man. I thought Aizawa could keep himself in check but... Anyway, I'm going to talk to the principal tomorrow."_

 _"You don't have to—"_

 _"Yes. Yes actually, I do indeed have to report this to the principal. What Aizawa did was_ wrong _."_

 _"..."_

 _"I'm not going to let what happened to you before Jakku got itself together happen in U.A., young Sengoku. This is suppose to be a professional setting and he was anything but."_

It was one thing for the big guy to come to my rescue when it almost seemed like I was about to be thrown under the bus by my asshole junior high principal which then led to Jakku being reformed from the bottom up afterwards, but it was something else to have him declare out loud that he was going to file a complaint to the high school principal on my behalf. One action spoke for the benefit for all while another encroached dangerously on something personal. The whole thing felt strange someone like All Might went to such lengths to protect me. But at the same time, it was part of his character: going out of his way to help others because that's what heroes did.

 _'But wouldn't that be considered favoritism?'_

The last thing I needed was getting accused of being the number one hero's favorite student.

"You there! Can you tell us what it's like to have All Might as a teacher?"

The left muscles of my eye twitched in irritation as the sidewalk started to get more and more crowded by reporters and cameramen taking up the space while also preventing students from entering the school's gate. With a deep sigh, I began my navigation through the thick crowds amassing at the school's front gate.

I had to be careful not to bump into anyone with heavy equipment lest they accuse me of breaking their shit and try to sue me for the damages. Just as I was getting close to end of the crowds, I felt someone grab my sleeve.

"Excuse me, can I get a comment from you?"

"No." I declined harshly while ripping my hand away from their hold.

"W-wait, we just want—"

"Whoa, wasn't that Grete Gunnarsen's son?"

I cursed under my breath and started to wiggle my way through the bodies faster, not caring if several people got roughly pushed aside.

"What? He's attending U.A.?!"

"Excuse me! Can we get a comment from you?"

"What happened in Jakku?"

"Did you release a drug known as Trigger inside the junior high's cafeteria during lunch period?"

"Gunnarsen-san!"

" _Gunnarsen_!"

It was like being swallowed up by a mountain of waves made of limbs and torsos and faces. I tried swimming for the shores, but the waves kept pushing me further and further away, all of them trying to duck my head under and drown me. My limbs would flail uselessly, trying to keep my head afloat as I struggled to breathe. To my surprise, it was over before I knew it.

Something looped itself around my wrist and quickly fished me out of the crowd with a hard jerk.

" _Oof_!" I face planted on the ground.

Was this going to be a common occurrence for me? Constantly tripping over and falling flat on my face? I hoped not.

Picking my head from the hard ground, I found two black boots. Eerily familiar boots.

From the black boots to the equally black jumpsuit, I clenched my jaw to find Aizawa standing over me with a judging look pointed at my direction.

"Get up and get to class."

Heeding the homeroom teacher's cold command, I quickly collected myself off the floor and hurried towards the towering building. Halfway on the path, I started at the sudden slamming coming from behind. Whirling around to see what the commotion was, I stopped to see the gate closed up with tons of metal preventing anyone entry.

 _'No wonder this school insisted on students keeping their ID's close!'_

"Get to class, Sengoku." Aizawa called again as he casually made his way back to the building.

 _'No need to tell me twice.'_ I thought as I jogged the rest of the way if only to steer clear of Aizawa's wrath.

...

"They actually let you back in school?" was Mineta's greeting as I walked inside the classroom.

"They actually let you wear anal beads on your head?" I shot back at the midget.

The grape boy paled in horror when few people started to laugh out loud at the witty comeback. Not one to stand for bad behavior, Iida shot up from his desk and demanded everyone to settle down and keep the crass language to a mum. I made my way down the rows to get to my assigned seat. On the way, I glanced at the end of the row to find Todoroki giving me a scrutinizing look.

Was he still ticked off about yesterday?

A quick sniff in the air told me he wasn't upset about the loss.

Did he perhaps feel threatened? As karate boy once informed me, he was the second person besides Yaoyorozu to enter the school through recommendations. He also happened to be the son of the famous Flame Hero: Endeavor, so he was probably expected to perform a lot better than most students. His story was vague, but I could recall that his relationship with his father wasn't exactly stellar.

I slid into my seat in time as Aizawa strolled through the giant door. There was a tablet in one hand while a thick packet of paper tucked under the other arm. If I had to hazard a guess, it was probably going to be a review of the battle simulation from yesterday afternoon.

Tuning out the teacher's dull lecture, I let my thoughts drift at random.

So far, Cyan and Noctis were still on the hunt for the murderer haunting the urban parts of the cities. Details were still scarce, but they both seemed to feel frustrated with the lack of trails the suspect left behind beside the unfortunate victims they came across. The longer it took for the undergrounds to find and capture their murderer, the more bodies were going to pile up, and eventually the public was going to notice a pattern on the victims. I could only imagine the stir amongst the community. So far, villains would target junior heroes or newbies because they were the easiest to kill (according to the statistics), but for someone to specifically target professionals?

It was going to cause a sort of panic.

Villains were all about being public, just like their law enforcing counterparts. But then there comes along some unknown drifter, quietly and savagely killing your heroes in the dark while leaving behind nothing but fresh corpses. It was subtle, but the message was getting clearer the more it continued. The community no longer had to be worried over their young and greenhorn peers, but their veterans as well.

 _Nobody_ was safe.

Taishirō meanwhile was in the middle of working with another agency. He was still patrolling the market streets at the prefecture his agency was established, but now he was scoping the streets with a new purpose since the other agency he was partnering with focused on information gathering. Again, details couldn't be divulged to citizens, but it was easy to guess through his actions and dad's rapt attention to his work that they were beginning to set up a trap for the drug dealers. Operations like these took patience and effort to set up carefully, as long as their intended target stayed in one spot and there wasn't any race against time, the bust would eventually occur sometime in the next half of the school's year.

I nearly jumped out of my own skin when Kirishima shot up from his desk, hand raised in the air while shouting, "Pick me, guys! I can do it!"

What the hell did I just miss?

Kaminari whipped his arm up, followed by Jirō. Mineta even climbed on his seat and began to wave his arms wildly. Bakugō himself joined in the mounting voices declaring themselves fit for whatever the hell they were trying to be fit for.

"Everyone, please take this responsibility seriously!" Iida interjected loudly enough that everyone else fell quiet. "The class representative has a duty to lead others, and it's not some simple task anyone can just take. You must be someone trustworthy for others to rely on! So in order to properly choose the one who will represent this class, we're going to have an election! The one with most votes is the one deemed trustworthy to carry the mantle of class representative!"

From the eager look on his face, I'd say Iida wanted that position for himself.

Well, I had no qualms on that. The guy was a bit nosy, but he seemed to keep a watchful eye on everyone and even was willing to hear someone's issue rather than getting after them for it. He most likely did this sort of gig back when he was attending his private academy, therefore he was the guy you could entrust to keep everything and everyone organized.

"Guess you got my vote." I said monotonously.

Iida looked like he'd been struck in the chest.

"Hey, we didn't even start our voting!" Kaminari complained.

"You all are obviously going to vote for yourselves." I rolled my eyes at him. "I don't really care about this whole representative business, but I ain't dumb enough to vote for some moron who thinks ordering people around is the only cool thing about leading. At least with karate boy, I know he'll take this stuff seriously."

Iida was now clutching at his upper torso. Dramatic much?

"Iida-kun has my vote, too!" Uraraka cheerfully chimed in. "Please take care of us!"

"I guess he's got mine as well," Ojiro smiled crookedly as he raised his hand. "He _does_ get things done around here."

Now the bespectacled boy seemed as though he was going to burst into tears.

"I'LL NOT FAIL YOU!"

"Good grief..." Aizawa mumbled from the yellow sleeping bag he crawled into while all this was going on.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Iida ended up with seven votes (Uraraka, Ojiro, Kirishima, Tokoyami, Kōda, Asui, and me) while Yaoyorozu had five (Jirō, Kaminari, Ashido, Hagakure, and shockingly enough, _Todoroki_ ). The two now carried the responsibility as class representative and deputy.

Karate boy treated it like it was a badge of honor.

Lunch period quickly arrived and I was in the middle of walking off to my own spot when—

"Sengoku-san!"

A strong hand clamped over my shoulder and my body was twisted around to face the karate boy's tear-filled eyes. It fell like crocodile tears, and I was hyper aware of the many wandering eyes of the other students locking onto us from the little drama Iida was creating. Behind the bespectacled boy, Uraraka was making her way over with a tray of food in her hands.

"You're confidence in my ability to lead is something I'll forever hold in high regard!" Iida proceeded to bow like a bridge gone out of order. "Thank you very much!"

"Yeah, okay man." I mumbled while backing away from his enthusiastic bowing.

"C'mon, Sengoku-kun! Let's find a table where we can all sit together." Uraraka tugged at my dress shirt.

"Actually, I was—" I pointed at the far side of the cafeteria.

"Together, Sengoku-kun." Uraraka smiled.

I opened my mouth.

" _Together_ ," the brunette's smile tightened a smidgen more. "Sengoku-kun."

With nothing to say against the determined petite girl, I was hauled off to a random table where there was enough room for others to join in. Minutes later, Iida made himself comfortable by sitting across from me while being careful not to bump elbows with the other students occupying the long table. I got a couple of stares but thankfully they kept to themselves and I happily followed their example by pretending there wasn't a big ass elephant in the room.

Iida and Uraraka were happy to make small talk and I only nodded and hummed when they appeared to look for my opinion on whatever they were talking about. A certain subject caught my attention when Iida unintentionally admitted his family's agency.

"Family agency?" Uraraka blinked. "Wait, is your family important, Iida-kun?"

"Oh, um...!" his coral red hues danced wildly as if trying to look for the nearest exit he could run to.

"You said your brother works at a hero agency," I suddenly remembered from our talk in the locker room before our battle simulation. "You come from a hero family then?"

"Ah, well yes." Iida's cheeks pinked a little. "I wanted to come here on my own merits rather than wave my family name around to get what I want."

"So your filthy rich, huh?" the brunette grinned at the karate boy.

"No, I-I mean," Iida seemed to shrink in himself. "The Iida family's been around for generations, that's all!"

"Hey, cut it out." I told Uraraka when I saw how uncomfortable the bespectacled boy became.

"Sorry, sorry!" the girl backed off. "But that's pretty cool, Iida-kun! Tell us more about your family."

Once Iida got started, there was no stopping him (something that matched his quirk). He wouldn't stop gushing about how great his older brother was, the Turbo Hero: Ingenium. To the karate boy, Ingenium was his All Might. The way the guy was described, he was incredibly popular amongst his many sidekicks he had working at his agency in Tokyo.

"Yeah, I recall seeing him a few years back on the news. He was chasing an out of control bus with some other guy." I said. "You even got the same armor."

"Our armor is manufactured solely within our family agency. However, with how limited resources have become over the years, our mobile suits have to be maintained in the workshops; no parts must go to waste, as my grandfather says." Iida explained. "But we also try to distribute protection gear if we can."

Even when referring to the fall-out, not once had Iida implied contempt or blame. It was frankly a bizarre experience for the rare times I came across someone who was genuinely as altruistic as All Might. The number one hero was a good guy all around that it still shocked me to the core how someone like him came into my life, Cyan and Noctis were an accident I stumbled upon when they shared their interests with my hobby, and now along came karate boy who stuck his neck out for me when I was threatened with expulsion.

I thought the first time when he and Uraraka pleaded for my disqualification case, it was because he felt like he owed me for the practical exams. But then after what happened yesterday, I felt so out of depth.

"Speaking of armor," Iida went on to say. "I have some that—"

A ringing pierced through the cafeteria, shocking the entire student body. I hissed at the sudden loudness, quickly dulling my ears to the point where I was almost rendered deaf.

"What the fuck?" I glared at the ceiling. "Is that a fire alarm?"

"No, there's been a security breach!" someone down the table exclaimed. "Somebody's infiltrated the school!"

Flashbacks of Jakku started to creep up on me, so I didn't hesitate to get up and abandon my lunch box in favor of avoiding another disastrous incident. Iida and Uraraka walked ahead and had to be careful on not become road kill as a lot of the students started to run for the cafeteria's exit. The voices began to climb higher and my nose picked up the scene of their fear overtaking their senses.

Knowing how dangerous it was to join in, I grabbed Iida by the shoulder while pulling Uraraka back by the waist, preventing them both from following the rest of the student body trying to fit through the crowded exit.

Bodies were pushing, shoving, twisting, and tangling as they fought to reach for the cafeteria's exit. God, this was Jakku all over again minus the drugged students going on a rampage and setting the school on fire.

"We need to do something! If this continues on, I'm afraid people will get seriously injured!" Iida fretted as he looked around for some solution, only to double-take when something caught his eye.

Curious to know what captivated the karate boy's attention, I followed his line of sight and saw it was the windows which showcased a small garden outside the building.

Beyond the lovely garden was the school's entrance courtyard. And congregating at the courtyard was a crowd of men and women with microphones and heavy cameras, flooding in and swarming the area like a whole hive of angry bees.

"We got spooked over nothing." I scowled at the people outside.

"It's only a false alarm." Iida turned back to the crowd, his hand framing his mouth. "EVERYONE! IT'S A _FALSE ALARM_! WE AREN'T IN ANY DANGER!"

While a few people nearby heard and slowed down, the students ahead were still making noise and crushing each other in their frenzy to flee from the imaginary danger.

"You need a megaphone so they can hear you, Iida. You're too far away from them."

Karate boy turned to me then Uraraka.

"Sengoku-san, give me your hand!" Iida snatched my limb anyway. "Uraraka, use your quirk on me!"

"O-okay!" she tapped him then pressed her fingertips together.

Iida began to float but kept his balance thanks to my hold. Catching on to what he had planned, I pulled us both away from the students close by before launching Iida forward in the air while keeping a hold of him. Iida used his quirk to continue the stretch until he came close to the other end of the long hallway. Once I saw that he was getting close to the wall above the opening, I made my arm go taut so it would slow down his approach.

"EVERYONE, CALM DOWN! THERE'S NO DANGER, IT'S ONLY THE PRESS OUTSIDE! PLEASE COMPOSE YOURSELVES AND LEAVE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION!"

Much to my relief, the stench of hysteria started to fade as Iida's announcement slowly eased them out of their panicked state of mind. The crowds slowed to a halt which allowed everyone the chance to breathe without being suffocated, the tangled to untangle, the twisted to untwist, and the wayward to right themselves. Once the karate boy was sure all was well and in order, he pushed off from the wall he was leaning against to return where Uraraka and I were waiting for him. My limb acted like a fishing rod, reeling back the prize until I safely caught them in my hands.

"Great job, Iida-kun!" Uraraka praised the bespectacled boy as she released her quirk once she deemed it safe enough to do so.

Several other students, from first-years to upperclassmen, started to crowd around Iida so they could offer their own praises for his quick thinking and actions which prevented the chaotic situation from escalating further. While that was going on, my eyes wandered back towards the window to watch as the press congregated in a tight cluster in the main entrance of the school. More teachers arrived outside to corral the annoying reporters and journalists, and a few entered the cafeteria because of the huge commotion the student body caused, so it was only a matter of time before everything would resume as normal.

 _'How did they get inside?'_

Was there a malfunction at the school gates?

... Or did _someone_ cause this?

In the distance, I could hear police sirens making their way towards the campus.

From somewhere in the murky waters of my spotty memories, a feeling of something dangerous was beginning to encroach on the front door of the school. What kind of dangerous it was however, I couldn't quite fathom.


	17. Chapter II: The (Sixth) Perception

**A/N:** Hello my lovely readers, did ya miss me? Fear not for I am here... with another update! Today is the one chapter you all have been looking forward to, or at least the first parts of the chapter since it'll probably take two or three to go over, but here were go~!

 _ **Prince,** _Whoa bruh, look underneath the underneath! Σ(゜ロ゜;)

As for the bit where Aizawa goes after Kuzan for the costume thing, it's not exactly wrong. I remembered a supervisor going after a worker who wasn't dressed in safety clothes. I also see workers who work on rebuilding the roads wear hard hats, it's not like they're working on construction bridges or anything, but they wear those hard hats anyway, you know what I mean? So I imagine when hero schools prioritize the safety of the students, they need to properly check the costumes to suit the wearer so they aren't put too much into harm's way if they can help it.

So it kind of was Kuzan's fault he didn't go to the teachers for this. Yeah, he had his reasons, but he was also doing something pretty dangerous, too. In Aizawa's eyes, Kuzan's a brat who disrespects his teachers, doesn't listen to the warnings, and flips the school their safety rules.

 ** _You Are So Wonk,_** Every story has a rough beginning but the better days are coming. :)

 ** _KnightOfZaku,_** Well you're certainly in for treat~!

 ** _Quest34135,_** Interesting points you brought up since I'm actually in the works of slowly implementing it in the story, but the rest of the stuff I'm not actually going to drag out any longer. USJ is a turning point for Class 1-A and it's from this incident that puts a change in what started out a bumpy road into something more functioning and clear. But there will still be issues that certain characters need to resolve later on the story, so you can keep on guessing what comes next afterwards for after the conclusion of this important arc.

 ** _supercomicreader421,_** Yes, there is a build up to a plot I'm working on, but it's going to take quite awhile to get there. Yes, the story however slightly changed, is still the same, but it's kind of how this theory I heard about works. Keep in mind, it's a fictional theory created by another author ( ** _Otaku of the Century_** ). They referred to call it rubber band theory. What it means is: you can try to change the direction of the story, but the rubber band is going to still whip you back in place. Does that help?

 ** _Lightsbane1905,_** I think when you're young, you can't really control your emotions. I have a headcanon when it comes to people who are reincarnated, they still react like children as they grow because of the young bodies they are inhabiting. Yeah, Kuzan is an adult but his body can't help but react when his emotions get the best of him, you know what I mean?

 ** _Kami no Kage,_** I... honestly thought I made it obvious. I mean, yeah, I said in every chapter things got bad after I mentioned how hospitals didn't have their super special equipment, the quirk gear of heroes falling apart from lack of proper maintenance, and the surge of death rates in the hero industry. Let's just say it was bad for the first few years for the heroes of Japan, that they were scrambling to keep the peace while villains wrecked and destroyed everything. A lot of people would be scrambling when they're cut off something they need, therefore its a messy beginning until they finally stabilize themselves (at the cost of multiple lives). Anyway, I thought the readers would fill in the blanks for that, but I guess I should probably fix that issue later on.

 ** _Reversus12,_** I was a little at odds with Iida at first because all I could see was this stiff guy who plays the rules to a T, but then I remember he goes on about honoring the code like his older brother does, so it got me thinking; still, he did keep Kuzan at an arm's length in the beginning to get a feel of him, test the waters so to speak, but after witnessing his deeds during the practical exams and seeing firsthand what the guy has to put up with, Iida becomes embroiled with Kuzan. And that's how their tentative relationship came to be!

 _ **Musical Bear,** Ooo_, sorry! The answer we were looking for was *reveals* Arlong Park Arc! When I was writing the scene where Kuzan breaks the flowers, I was tempted to make him stretch his leg out and do it as reminiscent of Luffy taking down Arlong's building, but I was like, "nah, too obvious". I probably should've went with it anyway, lol. And wow, I had no idea you got whiplash of feelings from reading my story! That's amazing! I sometimes feel that when I get invested with a story that I end up having a love/hate relationship with it. And the bit with Uraraka and Iida already being mellow people, I wanted to... how shall I say? Give them a different approach to their nice guy attitude. I showed Iida's reason (see **_Reversus12_** ) but I won't reveal Uraraka's reason until much, MUCH later in the story.

 ** _ReadingnerdOtaku,_** Wow, I didn't even think of Recovery Girl like that! I just had her play devil's advocate because All Might's kind of a bit idealistic, but when you point it out like that... Just because she gives you candies and smiles sweetly doesn't mean she's an absolute saint. Yeah, I think I can see what you mean in regards to her neutral feelings on Kuzan. She's not his enemy, but she ain't his friend (she's only a doctor fulfilling her oath). Thanks for the eye-opener there!

 ** _redskin122004,_** Thanks! I just needed help with that one issue, the rest I believe I can handle from here on out. I'll be sure to turn to you if I get stuck with something again, thanks!

 ** _Phantom Aficionado,_** I cannot wait to see your interpretation to the story with the CHAOTIC x Ice Flame in your little drabble series. :p

 ** _O-NovelAddict-O,_** That boy/boy stuff won't be posted in _here_ if that's what you're worried about. It's in a separate story altogether you can avoid if you so wish.

 ** _amyrosesalientes,_** I think there's already enough fics of BakuDeku/TodoDeku/KiriBaku/TodoBaku in this site, so I'm going for the typical boy/girl relationship. But at least you'll have the side-stories to look forward to! It won't be "CHAOTIC" canon, but it'll be a treat all the same.

 _ **waamahina,** Aww_, thanks. Yeah, I shake my head when I have to read every person complaining and whining and throwing tantrums in the reviews because they don't like how weak and pathetic Kuzan is in the beginning. Not everyone is out there has got ambitions, what can a person do while inhabiting a child's body?, why do they automatically have to be heroic and righteous rather than mind their own business?, maybe the dude wants to start over with a clean slate because that's all he can do. Yet they still keep coming and they still keep complaining/crying about it. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 ** _PurpleParticles,_** Does that mean I get to be the Maid of Honor? (◕‿◕✿)

 ** _Paul Garros,_** I like to make some references of Vigilante because it's got like a darker tone to it and it gives people another perspective outside the law, plus there's a few hints and tie in to the main story where it connects which I sometimes use when I'm doing my own story telling.

 ** _Jummper,_** Yeah, even after Kuzan told All Might he won't stand for the Rocky Theme, I was still playing it in my head as I wrote the chapter!

 _ **Ashborn2271,** _*pats shoulder* Don't worry buddy, we're almost there.

 ** _BIackForest & Levin Kluge,_** (ʘ‿ʘ)'

 _ **QuestingforBitches,** _*Reads: "USJ is only a few chapters away"* LOLOL! Hold my beer.

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter II: Part VII**

 **.**

* * *

Throughout the next classes, the sense of foreboding remained with me like a coat hanging over my shoulders. The panic which took place inside the cafeteria gradually eased itself and the people of the press got escorted off school campus by the police. It should have been the end of that yet I found no relief. There was something off about today, like the primordial part of my brain was awakening its ancient instinct to be wary of what would come to pass.

"Hey."

I was reminded of the incident where I had first met All Might. Flashes of déjà vu fell over me throughout the entire morning and afternoon from stumbling upon the villain/hero fight at Tatooin Station, to the slimy creep almost murdering me and All Might rescuing me, and then when Bakugō had been taken hostage by the sludge creature. It was the day I realized Izuku was suppose to meet All Might and begin his journey to become a hero.

"Hey~!"

It was happening again.

But this one felt different from before.

This one felt so much _worse_.

Spending the rest of the class hours diving backwards in time to relive my previous lifetime, I pictured myself sitting on my twin bed next to my dorm mate who was trying to get me involved with the stupid anime he was watching. There was a turning point in the story, a part in particular where the whole class of 1-A would—

" _Sengoku_!"

The mechanical pencil between my fingers snapped in half from how strongly I reacted.

The girl with the long earlobes—Jirō—sat in the desk in front of mine. Currently, she was looking at me like I was the dullest thing she had ever laid her lazy eyes on. No longer preoccupied with my thoughts, I noticed the mad scribbling of my open journal. I could barely make out the words I written down since I wasn't really paying any attention of what the teacher was talking about. Speaking of which, the pale underground slipped out the door while everyone was getting up and gathering their things.

Was it already time to head home? I reached for my smartphone and looked at the digital clock.

"Time for basic training, doofus." Jirō supplied.

"Oh." I mumbled while rubbing the temple of my forehead. I got up from my seat once it cleared up enough.

"Everyone, to the locker rooms!" Iida instructed, chopping the air with his arms like usual. "Please be ready within ten minutes as we must follow the schedule sensei has given us! Once you're finished changing, please wait in the hall where we will exit the building in an orderly fashion!"

"Iida's taking his role as class rep very seriously." Asui remarked unblinkingly from outside Iida's arm chopping range.

"Looks no different than what he usually does." Jirō monotonously quipped as she stepped out of the classroom door.

Less than ten minutes later, everyone had exchanged their uniforms for the cool costumes most were eager to put on. We all the exited from the back of the school where there was a bus waiting to transport us to another area in the large campus. I felt my hands begin to tremble the farther I got from being under the school's large shadow, and I could feel my stomach begin to twist and twine like an agitated snake.

The sun was shining brightly, the birds continued to sing their spring time tunes, the clouds floated on by under the big blue sky, and the students were chattering excitedly about what awaited for them for today's basic training. Even with the happy atmosphere, dread was all I could feel. I quietly pulled on my dark gloves that survived Bakugō's onslaught of attacks. With the rest of my hero costume trashed, I had to follow everyone while wearing nothing but the school's tracksuit. I bent low to fold the pants a little, exposing the skin of my shins.

"Board the bus in order please!" Iida ushered everyone onto the bus.

With heavy trepidation, I reluctantly joined everyone else.

Once all the kids got settled in their seats, the bus engines came to life and we were setting off to the location where I basic training would take place. I twisted my head to face the window, watching as the school's building began to shrink as the distance widened.

 _'Something's going to happen,'_ came a frightening thought. _'And I don't know what I should do.'_

Because really, what was I going to tell them?

Hell, what was I going to tell _Aizawa_?

I had a bad feeling? Something about today didn't sit right with me? We should turn the bus around and head back to the school because I didn't want to go to wherever we were heading? Yeah right, I had better luck getting in a philosophical debate with Bakugō than trying to convince Aizawa to cancel today's trip. A soft nudge against my arm forced me out of my stupor.

"Are you okay? You look kind of pale." Ashido's yellow irises took in my anxious demeanor.

No, I wanted to tell her, I was nowhere near okay.

"I don't know." I mumbled instead.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask," Kirishima points at the blue and white tracksuit I'm wearing. "Since you're not wearing your costume, does that mean you found somebody in the Department of Support to fix it up for ya?"

Originally, the plan was that after we had our lunch, Iida and I would head out to find the Support Studio to have a talk about my costume dilemma. However, because of the press breaking in which caused an uproar in the cafeteria, the opportunity to swing by the department was lost as the teachers finally came into the scene and corralled the students into their respective classrooms.

"Due to today's unforeseen circumstances, Sengoku-san and I will have to pay them a visit at another time." Iida answered for me. "My biggest worry is if there is someone in the department that can be trusted with such an important task."

 _"I'm actually planning to enroll U.A., too." the mouse boy chirped. "The Department of Support is what I'm aiming for!"_

"There is somebody I think might help with my costume." I furrowed my brows. "But I don't know if he got accepted into the school or not. I remember him telling me he was enrolling for the support classes."

"You know them?" Asui asked.

"Zushinezumi Kōichi. He went to the same junior high as me." I replied.

"He went to Jakku? A support guy?" Mineta gave me a puzzled look.

"The school wasn't entirely made up thugs and rejects," I rolled my eyes at the smaller boy. "It had people who didn't have the money to go elsewhere, so their only option was to attend that shithole."

"Until it got blown up by some dumbass." Jirō deadpanned.

Despite her bland tone, I was hyper aware of the allegation she was referring to. Feeling incredibly anxious since after the incident in the cafeteria, I was wrought with anxiety, therefore my control over my emotions was minimal. So my immediate emotional response was to give the girl the most menacing death glare I could muster from the girl's verbal jabbing. The whole hubbub over Jakku had died down somewhat, but people still liked to bring it up and sling it in my face whenever it suited them. Even with my fury being blatantly displayed for all to see, the effect was lost since Jirō was too busy scrolling through her phone to take notice.

Instantly knowing a nasty dispute was about to blow up in the middle of the bus (and with Aizawa practically sitting at the front), Iida immediately took action in nipping the bud by diverting the conversation elsewhere.

"Once basic training has concluded for the day, we'll go ask around for this Zushinezumi!" Iida loudly asserted. "His assistance in your costume will be most valuable!"

"Jeez, calm down, man." Kirishima chuckled.

With an angry scoff, I crossed my arms tightly and glared elsewhere so I didn't have to face the stupid punk. Later on, I was going to thank Iida for his intervention as he probably saved me from getting chewed out by the scruffy homeroom teacher who was glaring at us from over his shoulder.

Inhale. Exhale.

"Say, Sengoku," I spot Asui tapping her arm. "What's with the black arm band you keep wearing?"

Once Asui pointed it out, everyone became curious of the black arm sleeve band I always wore to cover the majority of my forearm. Back then, when my relationship with All Might was still new, the older man would occasionally glance at the sleeve, but thankfully he never voiced it out loud. Becoming conscious of the eyes drawn to my limb, I ignored the question and looked out the window of the bus.

The school was so far away. Too far for my liking.

For some ungodly reason, I felt... exposed. Vulnerable even. It was the kind of strange feeling one thinks when they feel as though they've become a target and have entered the crosshairs of a dangerous sniper.

"You nervous or something?" Ashido asked, breaking the silence once again. "You seem kind of twitchy."

"Is the distance between the school and the training grounds _really_ that necessary?" I wondered.

"When the school was first being established, they wanted to build training grounds in separate locations; not only to create an array of various terrains in which the students will face in the real world, but so that it wouldn't disturb the main institute." I was surprised that Yaoyorozu was the one to explain this to me rather than Iida. She made it explicitly clear that wasn't all that keen in interacting with me since yesterday. "For instance, what is there was someone who had a quirk that could shift tectonic plates? It would probably cause quite the disturbance at school, yes?"

"Oh."

Her explanation made a lot of sense regarding the layout of the campus' construction, whereas I was kind of too busy bitching about the long distance travels we had to traverse through in order to reach classes for our hero training. I could understand why the school felt it necessary to create a distance between the training facilities and main campus to prevent disturbance and accidents, but a lot of things could go wrong with that idea. And right now, with my brain continuously blaring red flags, I felt like something about today's class session was about to prove my concerns true.

I was thankful that everyone continued their discussion without me. I really wasn't in the mood for small talk, instead I was busying myself in guessing how many meters away we were going on bus. Using Yaoyorozu's high score on the softball pitch we did on the first day of school, I estimated the distance to be twelve-hundred meters and a half (give or take). Feeling the bus beginning to slow down, we finally arrived to the training facility.

"We're here." Aizawa announced once the transport vehicle stopped.

Iida took control in herding everyone outside, being the last to step out the bus while going over the unnecessary task in doing a quick head count. Still feeling as spooked as a nervous filly, I looked back towards the direction of the school.

 _'It's too far away from us.'_

This felt like complete isolation from the rest of the school campus. Here we were, a gaggle of children being led further and further away from the safety of the main building.

"Sengoku," my spine straightened at the sound of Aizawa's severe tone. " _Pay attention_."

Avoiding the ink-haired teacher, I forced myself to pay attention with the rest of audience who's focus was captured by the approaching marshmallow-looking fellow; their hero suit greatly resembled that of the NASA space suits, except their helmet was tinted so heavily that I couldn't even see a shape or contour of their face. Along with obnoxiously bright yellow sneakers.

"Hello!" greeted a filtered voice. "Welcome Class 1-A, I've been expecting you!"

"That's the Space Hero: Thirteen! They're my all time favorite hero!" Uraraka gushed from her place in front of the class, doe eyes sparkling with adoration.

I remember Thirteen.

Izuku wouldn't shut up about this guy.

Thirteen had been a greenhorn when they first stepped into the hero spotlight, but beyond their marshmallow-looking costume was a determined youth who played a pivotal role in putting an end to the rapid death rates the country suffered in the early years when the recession hit them hard. Thirteen was one of the biggest reasons why the mortality rate in the country had died down, their quirk being a beneficial asset in removing the destruction while closing in on the trapped souls.

While All Might and many other combatant heroes faced the foes head on with their fists, strength, and might, Thirteen and the rescue heroes swooped in to save as many people as they could, not once giving up until the last living straggler was safely in their custody.

The death toll and unfortunate tragedies that befell the country was awful and heartbreaking at times, despair covering the nation like a never ending night, but little by little, they dug themselves out of the darkness to filter in what light they could grab hold of. The process was painstakingly slow, but the country adapted itself into the new, scary world it was forcefully thrust into.

But their misery and plight was never going to end, as long as the old man said so, it would continue for the next decade even after he was gone from this world; I sometimes wondered how the hell could the old man sleep at night knowing he was the cause of so many deaths, when he knew people were suffering because he wouldn't extend his support nor aid to them, when he knew he was leaving a country behind to almost destroy itself.

Even if the country begged him, groveled before him, or presented my corpse at his feet, he would only give them all a cold sneer then press his thousand dollar shoes to their heads and let them eat the dirt.

Because the only thing Aksel Gunnarsen ever cared about was having the power and control to doing whatever the fuck he wanted.

"Come on inside, everyone." Thirteen motioned everyone to follow him inside the huge dome-shaped training facility. It looked big and spacious enough to fit an entire fake city block inside.

With everyone's backs turned to me, including Aizawa, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. Once the message app opened up, my fingers began to tap the screen as rapidly as I could.

 ** _Where r u?!_ _Pls come to class!_**

I would have typed some more, explained to All Might that I felt something awful was about to transpire, but Uraraka, who noticed me standing there while everyone was moving on ahead with the teachers leading the way, called out to my immobile figure.

"Sengoku-kun," Uraraka waved her hand. "C'mon!"

Seeing Aizawa beginning to turn his head, I thrust the phone back into my pocket and jogged after the class. The ill feeling of wrongness grew as we stepped inside the entrance, everyone walking further inside as I trailed behind with hesitant footsteps. I started at the sound of something behind me, and when I peered over my shoulder, I watched the doors automatically close up.

Everything about this screamed "trap!" and it was such a strong feeling that it made me want to keel over and vomit. What control I had over my quirk suddenly started to flail about, my eyes wincing at the brightness of the facility's lights, jaw clenching with the loudness one would feel when standing next to a loud speaker as Thirteen gave the class a small introduction, my skin experiencing hot and cold flashes that caused me to shudder then break out in sweat, and the different aromas which caught my nose—

I went absolutely stock still.

My nostrils flared, tracing the chemical that was faint but there.

Different odors invaded my senses.

Different than that of my classmates.

Different from Aizawa.

Different.

 _Dangerous_.

"We need to leave."

The words were spoken quietly, yet despite that I saw many heads turning towards me. Everyone heard it like a gunshot echoing inside a cavern stretching all around until it reached everyone within the vicinity.

"Uh, what?" Kaminari quirked a brow. "We just got here."

"And what's up with you? You're, like, _really_ pale!" Hagakure's gloves floated in the air. "Are you sick or something?"

"We need to leave." I repeated, my voice coming out a little louder.

"Stop disrupting the class, Sengoku." Aizawa ordered from the front, giving me another one of his glares.

"I'm not—" I begin to weave towards the teacher, making my way through the other kids. "This isn't a joke, okay! There's something wrong and we need to leave! Like right now!"

"What's wrong?" Thirteen asked, their voice sounding wary.

I went to explain to the rescue hero, but Aizawa cuts me off before I had a chance to voice my concerns. "If this is your way of trying to skip out on the lesson because your feeling sick, just say so instead of wasting our time with this drama."

"Did you not hear me?!" I snapped at him. "I said something's wrong!"

"Sengoku...!" I felt Iida's hands grab me by the shoulders, but I shrug him off as I glared at the older man in front of me.

"Watch your tone, Sengoku." Aizawa glowered at me, voice more colder as his dark eyes flared red in warning.

"Dude, what's up with you? Chill out!" Kirishima also grabbed me by the shoulder.

"I'm telling you we all need to get out of this place because it feels dangerous!" I barked at the teacher while waving towards the massive area beyond the giant staircase ahead of us. "My brain is screaming for me to turn back and run the other way!"

"The USJ is a training facility created to simulate dangers from villain attacks and natural disasters. Maybe your quirk is mistaking the establishment for real life?" Thirteen suggested, but I was already shaking my head.

"My quirk knows the difference between fake settings and real life disasters, and this is anything but fake!" I turned my gaze back to Aizawa. "Please, you have to believe me! You're literally the last person I want to be pissing off—"

"And yet here we are."

"—but we really need to get out of here!" I pleaded.

"Get out." Aizawa ordered.

I blinked, surprised at first but then relieved because the teacher was actually going to—

"Go on, Sengoku. You can go wait in the bus. We'll finish this class without you."

The short relief I felt quickly died and fell to the bottom of my soles.

"What?"

Aizawa turned his back. "Go back to the bus and wait for class to be over. You want out, there's your out. Now go, I have a class to teach."

For a moment, I was absolutely gobsmacked at his dismissal. Any other time, I would have backed off and bowed my head submissively, I would have fled from Aizawa to hide behind All Might... but All Might wasn't here, Aizawa wasn't going to listen to me, and everyone was going to pay for it. And suddenly the rage that had accumulated since the first day of school roared to life, my anger no longer muzzled but unleashed as I ripped myself away from the class and surged forward to grab the ink-haired man and force him to face me.

"You listen to me, you pasty-looking _cunt_ ," I snarled viciously into his face. "I'm not gonna let you get everyone killed here because you couldn't for one fucking minute take that stick out of your lily white ass and listen to what I had to say! So if you won't listen, I will literally _drag_ you out of this place! Kick and scream all you want, but you're coming with me!"

There was a stunned silence.

And then the noise came flooding back.

"H-Hey! You seriously threatening a teacher?!" Kirishima frantically waved his hands, stepping closer as if he was trying to capture a cornered animal.

"Really Sengoku?" Yaoyorozu called out from the crowd.

"Freaking _chill out_ , man!" Jirō cried.

"Sengoku-san, please release Aizawa-sensei!" Iida shouted. "There's no need for violence!"

"Why try to reason with him? It's the only way he knows how to communicate," came Aizawa's caustic tone, cutting through the noisy class as his own hand clamped tightly around my wrist which was clenched on his front shirt. "I might as well respond in kind."

"Whoa, _WHOA_!" Mineta screeched from the background.

"Aizawa-senpai!" Thirteen shouted, stepping towards us as well. "Please, let's just calm down!"

"Stop it guys!" Hagakure's voice shouted from the background.

Glowing red eyes and determined tangerines clashed with one another, two forces sparking like lightning between Aizawa and me. Our bodies went tight with coiled tension, muscles folding back as we prepared to release our power in the ensuing brawl—

When the lights began to flicker.

Attention no longer on the teacher, I shot up like a rod and watched as the ring of light bulbs that illuminated the massive facility dimmed down until there was only the sun hanging overhead to shed light through the somewhat clear surface of the dome roof.

"What just happened?" Ashido murmured as she and everyone looked around in confusion.

There was a shift in the air.

My head whipped towards the area at the bottom of the stairs, following the path until it lead me to the water fountain situated at the center of the giant USJ facility. I saw the water flicker, and I knew it was the from effects of the lights around the dome being shut down. Water splashed in a disorderly manner, the fluid motion of it gone as if to say, "chaos has come", and I did.

I felt it coming.

In front of the fountain, I watched something twist the fabric of existence and force its way through.

A black abyss appeared.

I looked into the void.

And a face obscured by a severed hand stared right back at me.

"Oh, _fuck_." I whispered in horror.

Like entities spawned by the dark underworld from whence they came, men, women, and creatures of all sickening shapes and sizes exited the black void and entered into our plain. More and more terrifying foes invaded, each more horrifying in appearance than the last. I could smell the stench that clung onto them, I could smell the filth, anger, excitement, and blood lust seeping out of their pores. They all were looking up towards us, they were all coming, and they were all eager to slaughter me and my classmates for their sick, twisted amusement.

It was like a sport to these heinous people, killing the young before they had a chance to be heroes. I even heard a police officer in dad's station say that the sick bastards treated it like an annual culling.

I started badly when the collar of my tracksuit was grabbed and jerked backwards, forcing the attention back to the present rather than being left to stare helplessly at the monsters from down below approaching the large staircase. Aizawa was no longer standing in the spot beside me but blocking the view with his own body, and I realized that he was the one pushing me back until somebody from behind caught me.

"All of you get back!" Aizawa waved a hand at Thirteen. "Thirteen, start evacuating the students!"

"Is this for real?" Ojiro exclaimed from the background. "Are we really being under attack?!"

"This isn't a game, kids. These are real villains."

"Sensei!" Yaoyorozu called out to Thirteen. "Why aren't the alarms going off?"

With frantic hands, I hurried to reach inside my pockets for the phone I had hidden away and almost dropped the damn thing in my urgency. Once the touch screen lit up, I was greeted with a tiny icon on the top border of the screen that told me the signal was dead and there was no way to reach anyone.

"They jammed the phones!" I informed everyone.

"Kaminari, try to contact the school with your quirk!" Aizawa ordered.

"Yes sir!" the blond reached for the earpiece he had.

"There must be a villain who has a quirk to cut off any contact between us and the school." Todoroki suggested. "This was a planned attack."

"No shit, Sherlock!" I angrily snapped at the twin shaded boy. "We're in an isolated location, we can't call for back up, and those motherfuckers down there are armed to the fucking teeth! OF COURSE THIS WAS PLANNED!"

" _Enough_!" Aizawa shouted as he pulled out some yellow goggles he had hidden under his scarf. My alarm only grew when the ink-haired man stepped closer to the edge of the staircase. "Thirteen, I'm leaving the kids to you—"

"Hey! _HEY_! What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?!" I demanded, eyes growing wide like saucers.

He wasn't actually considering the insane idea of going down there to fight them all by himself, was he? If that fucker was planning to pull some noble bullshit like sacrificing himself so that his students could get away, then I just seriously underestimated how stupid the asshole could be!

"Sir, there's hundreds of them against one of you! You won't be able to handle them yourself!" Yaoyorozu reasoned with him.

If the stupid fuck wasn't going to listen to me then surely Yaoyorozu's logic would reach his ears. Aizawa had to know that he was our best ticket out of this mess, so if we made for the door, there was a chance we could all escape from this unscathed.

"No good Pro hero is a one-trick pony."

Or not.

"No, don't you dare!" I shouted. Any attempts to step forward and reach for the dark underground hero was thwarted when somebody grabbed me by the shoulders. "Aizawa! We need you here! We can't escape if you're—"

As if he didn't hear a word coming out of my mouth, Aizawa leapt forward. I watched with wide eyes as the man plummeted downward, falling straight towards the hordes of filth and malice that awaited to meet him.

"Aizawa!" I screamed after the teacher, lunging forward only to be yanked back by the person holding onto me. I swung my arm back, ready to shoot it off so it could reach the underground hero by the back of his jumpsuit and pull him up to join the rest of us, but my arm was quickly captured as well. "AIZAWA! _AIZAWA_!"

"Sengoku, we need to get out of here! Eraserhead can take care of himself!" Thirteen tried to reason.

"THERE'S A VILLAIN WITH A WARP QUIRK!" I roared.

"What?!"

How the bloody fuck did these idiots (including the goddamn teachers) miss the black portal puking out the hundreds of villains? How could they not have thought about that thing coming after us next now that Aizawa left us wide open for an attack? _HOW_?!

"HE'LL PICK US OFF ONE-BY ONE! AIZAWA WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD'VE STOPPED HIM!" I screeched as I wrestled to get out of whoever was holding me. "We have run for it now before the bastard comes after us!"

I slapped the arm holding me down.

"Let go of me, I gotta blow a hole through the door!"

Whether it was by my viscous demand or the threat of an oncoming attack by a villain, my arms and shoulders were quickly released and I didn't waste time in summoning One for All's power. Orange static cackled to life around my charging arm, my veins flashing brightly under the surface of my skin as if to show that it was ready to destroy upon command, so I focused my aim towards the faraway entrance.

"Get down!" Thirteen warned everyone.

Most of my classmates ducked their heads, but a few others who were off at the side backed away to give me room. All of them remembered the power of my fists back in the battle simulation against Todoroki and Bakugō, so they knew very well to stay the hell out of my way.

My arm shot off, zooming straight towards the purple doors.

Only for my fist to collide against nothing.

Instead, it disappeared through a dark hole that exploded from thin air. What was more horrifying was the fact that my arm wasn't coming back like it usually did. Feeling something clamping tightly around my wrist, I was suddenly jerked forward which made me release a sharp yelp as I almost flew forward into the dark portal. Thankfully, Bakugō, Iida, Satō, Mineta, Sero, and Todoroki grabbed a hold of me so I wouldn't be sent flying into whatever was waiting for me on the other side of the gateway.

"Pull your arm back, you idiot!" Bakugō screamed in my ear.

"I can't!" I grunted as I struggled to retrieve my limb. "Something's got me!"

"Now, now," a deep resounded from the depths. "I'm told it's awfully rude to leave when the guests have only just arrived."

Well shit, I cursed internally, I hated that I was right about this scenario. No thanks to Aizawa leaving our backsides open, sure enough the warp villain came straight for the students and non-combatant hero. With the exit barred by the villain, there was no way we would be able to contact the school if we couldn't figure a way on how to get around this intangible asshole.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," a pair of narrow illuminated eyes stared down at us. "We are the League of Villains."

Stupid club name aside, the smoky fucker was a lot more menacing when he opened his non-existent mouth; his speech calm and polite as a gentleman, you would've thought he was some sane individual and not an evil bastard who just unleashed a small army of armed villains on a bunch of innocent kids.

"So sorry we've come into this haven of justice unannounced," the black mist continued to say. "But we thought this place appropriate for when the Symbol of Peace draws his last _breath_."

For a moment, I thought something actually attacked me since my heart felt like it had been stabbed by multiple icicles. I could hear the faint shuddering of every spinal column coming from my classmates, their fear so tangible I could almost taste it. Just as I was about to succumb into the edges of fear, something winked at me from the darkness the villain exuded.

"Strange that there is no sign of All Might. The schedule we acquired earlier from U.A. stated he would be attending this class," dark tendrils briefly rose as if to visibly express his version of a shrug. "No matter. The object has not changed."

Slowly, so I wouldn't attract the villain's attention, I gently pulled my arm that Bakugō was holding onto. I didn't want to risk saying anything because it might be overheard, so I pulled at it until the ash blond got the gist that he needed to let go of my limb. He kept his movements just as slow. From the corner of my peripheral view, the others were subtly tilting their bodies out of the way once they caught on to what I was about to do.

"So it was your doing! You used the press as a cover to sneak into campus!" Thirteen boldly took a step forward.

Before the dark entity had a chance to say anything more—I struck.

My arm whipped speedily towards the area where I spotted the almost obscured metal collar the villain was wearing. It looked expensive and important if the smoky bastard had to wear that thing, probably some black market product he had to purchase through other means since quirk gears were still hard to come by. If I grabbed it, maybe even destroyed it, it could give us the chance we needed to escape.

Just as my aim was about to strike true, the black mist quickly expanded itself and I cursed as my other arm disappeared inside the black vortex. Like my other arm, something caught it and began to pull me forward.

" _SHIT_!" I cursed again as my sneakers skidded a few inches closer until the guys surrounding me had to lean backwards to keep me from getting sucked in.

"That was close," the villain remarked. "But I don't think you'd want to continue this tug-of-war, boy."

Confused by the words, I started at the faint sensation of something hovering over my arms. Whatever was holding my arms hostage was strong, strong enough to drag me and a bunch of other kids towards the vortex. The sensation felt like something was buzzing, probably noisy. Not only that... it felt...

 _Sharp_.

"Let me go." I ordered, eyes widening in horror. "Guys, let me go!"

"What?!" Bakugō whipped his head to give me a look that questioned my sanity.

"Are you _insane_?!" Yaoyorozu demanded.

"They got something on the other side and I'm will to bet it ain't a fucking giant electrical toothbrush!" I shouted frantically, trying to shrug their arms and hands off my shoulders. "And I won't disappear! These bastards wanted us trapped in the first place, and I can smell them all across the facility!"

"He's going to scatter us." Todoroki threw the villain a sharp look.

"What clever children," the villain hummed. "Too bad that you all will have to die sooner than you anticipated; normally, would-be heroes die during their internships, but you lot have been dealt with the short hand in life; dead before your first week in school."

"Stick together!" Thirteen commanded as the tendrils of darkness because to encircle us. "Come back alive!"

"How foolish." I heard the villain say in a low voice.

"Let me go, _now_!" I shouted once again. With much reluctance, they did as I said.

As I was beginning to skid forward, I caught Bakugō's gaze for a brief moment until I forced myself to look ahead. It took a second to realize that Iida hadn't released his hold of me like the others did.

"I'm coming with you!" Iida declared as he tightened his arms around me. "We'll have a higher chance in pairs!"

No way I was going to argue against that logic, and I really didn't want to face whatever was waiting for me on the other side alone. From all around, the others started to do the same by huddling to the person closest to them. When I had given a quick glance around as the darkness began to smother everyone, one student caught my eye that it blossomed a brilliant idea from the top of my head.

"That first day with Aizawa," I began loudly while facing towards the misty villain. "You sent the soft ball the farthest than everyone else in the class! Maybe if you send it flying higher again, everyone else will see it, too!"

Here was to hoping that they caught my meaningful message, I thought.

" _Begone_!"

And with that, Iida and I leapt into the darkness with a high-pitched screech trailing after us.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

 **. Toshinori .**

* * *

 _"We're sorry; the number you have dialed is not in service or has been temporarily disconnected. Please check the number and dial again. Thank you."_

 ** _beee_ _—_**

Toshinori clicked the end call button. That was the fourth time he had tries to call Thirteen and Aizawa on their phones, and while he was expecting the silent treatment from the underground hero, he was surprised the rescue hero wasn't responding at all. Not even a text message! Speaking of which, Toshinori couldn't help but wonder about the text his successor had sent him. The words, for some strange reason, seemed worrisome.

At first he thought it was because Sengoku-kun didn't want to go through another class session with the cold ink-haired hero, but when Toshinori tried to text back, his own message couldn't get through.

That was odd.

First Aizawa, then Thirteen, and now Sengoku-kun.

"Nobody's picking up their phones." Toshinori murmured to himself.

Then again, they were in the middle of class and phones were forbidden during that learning period. Toshinori couldn't help but curse himself for getting caught up in his heroic duties that he ended up neglecting his students.

Still, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was not right. Getting to his feet, he made his way towards the door. Surely it wouldn't hurt to go in and check on his peers and students, right? He had a long morning from running around the city, and while that bit him in the ass, he didn't mind using his remaining strength to run in, make sure everyone was doing okay, then return to the school in time to explode in a cloud of steam to rest for the remainder of the day.

"Okay then!" Toshinori drew up his quirk, body bulging underneath his (hideous) golden pinstripe suit. "Time to meet my students!"

He didn't even get to reach for the sliding door because it slid open for him.

"And where do you think you're going, hm?"

"Oh!" Toshinori stepped backwards as Principal Nedzu entered the private lounge. "I was just—"

The mammal slid the door behind him, and he internally winced at the slight slamming it created once shut. Despite the benevolent look on his face, Toshinori knew that the principal was not pleased with him. Knowing that escape would not be easy, the blond backed away from the door while Nedzu stepped further inside the private lounge. It looked like the class he was suppose to be at would have to wait.

"Your fur looks especially well groomed and glossy today, sir!"

"The secret is keratin. No human can produce such luster."

It was silly trying to throw compliments around in order to appease the small mammal standing before him, but all the principal seemed to do was smile and nod along as if he was listening but was in reality plotting his demise. The Pro hero was not disappointed when Nedzu reached behind his back and pulled up the tablet, turning the brightly lit screen towards him so he could see the latest updated article posted online that kept track of the heroes.

 **All Might spotted! Three Incidents resolved within One Hour!**

"I wish your passion for heroics could be shared in teaching, All Might." Nedzu sighed as he moved towards the couch. "You say you want to retire quietly, but your actions speak otherwise. You mustn't react to every call for help, there's other heroes running around the city that are capable of settling the situation."

The memory of the sludge villain almost made him want to open his mouth in disagreement with the principal's statement on the heroes, but Toshinori quickly bit back the words because losing confidence in the younger heroes meant losing confidence in their ability to protect the people.

The last thing they needed was doubt, and there was already enough of that to go around no thanks to the losses they've had over the years. Compared to before, they were doing a lot better than they were, and while there was hurdles they all still needed to go over, it was progressing in a way All Might didn't have to be running himself ragged to every catastrophe that occurred.

His reaction to the danger and crime happening all around him was like a habit he couldn't break himself out of, but the principal was right: he needed to back off from the spotlight and focus on his students.

"Not only is your time limited, you also have the added work of training One for All's successor."

And as the principal stated, he had to guide Sengoku-kun until he was able to successfully navigate the powers of One for All. However, something told Toshinori that the boy was going to have it down quickly before the older man could offer any "sage" advice. He supposed it was better this way...

"Stay a little while longer, All Might. You need to recuperate your strength, not waste it away," Nedzu pushed a small cup of tea towards his direction on the coffee table. "For now, let us discuss your bad habit of running around the city rather than committing to your job as a full fledged teacher of this school. Let's begin with your heavy reliance on the cheat sheets provided to you by Cementoss. He won't say it because he's your biggest fan, but Ishiyama-kun is getting tired of writing down those papers..."

 _'Oh great, another lecture from the principal...'_

Hopefully the class will survive without his presence a little while longer.

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Well, I thought as I got a glimpse of what was waiting for me beyond the dark portal, it wasn't an electric toothbrush about to severe my arms.

" _IIDA_!"

And like a calcium carbide mixed with soda, the bespectacled boy was blasting over towards the giant wielding twin chainsaws that was inches away from severing my limbs permanently. I was really going to owe Iida for this because I could only imagine what could have been had my body snapped back to normal lengths, my limbs no longer in danger but my the rest of me in range for the chainsaw guy to cut me to bloody pieces.

With a powerful roundhouse kick to the face (breaking the jerk's Jason Voorhees mask in the process), the giant chainsaw guy went tumbling backwards. Looking it how big the guy was, an even bigger giant than All Might, I didn't think Iida'd engine-powered kicks were that powerful.

Another villain, some eight-armed freak holding my arms hostage, also got his own nasty surprise as I maneuvered my legs to slam the guy feet first in order to send the bastard flying. He took a few guys with him as they fell in a crumpled heap on the floor. With my legs raised up, I noticed something flapping wildly near my knee.

I felt my eyes widen as I looked at my legs properly.

"What the—?!"

There, clinging to my leg with their arms and legs wrapped around me like a baby koala, a certain midget held on for dear life. Well, I thought, at least that answered the question of where the source of all the screaming had come from. Mineta had probably been too shocked to let go and now he was stuck with me and Iida.

"Sengoku!"

Oh right, the villains.

Right now, we were surrounded from all sides. Back alley thugs, purse-snatching crooks, gun-totting lunatics, and big bruisers like the giant chainsaw guy karate boy knocked down, were all that was keeping me, Iida, and Mineta trapped inside. The karate boy reached my side and we both were back-to-back, our eyes trained on the villains that were slowly closing in on us.

"We're gonna die! And I didn't even get to touch Yaoyorozu's bodacious boobs!" Mineta sobbed while still clinging onto my leg.

"Our lives are at stake here and all you can think about is boobs?!" I gave Mineta and incredulous look while attempting to free my leg from the little prick. "Get the fuck off me, you little creep!"

" _NOOoOooooOOO_!" Mineta shrieked, his hold becoming even more desperate. "Don't let me die!"

My fingers twitches at the temptation of reaching down, ripping the boy off my leg, and then flinging him towards the villains like he was a grenade about to explode in all their fugly faces.

"Mineta, what's your quirk? You didn't get to show us at all back in the battle simulations yesterday." Iida said.

Yeah, the midget was too busy being gross by slobbering over Hagakure's boots and gloves.

"I can't beat anyone up with my quirk! I'm totally useless here, guys!" Mineta cried.

"What is it?!" I demanded, teeth baring at the smaller boy in a threatening display to get him to talk.

"I have sticky balls!"

Everyone stopped.

And when I mean everyone, I mean _EVERYONE_.

The villains that were closing in on our position actually stopped because they too were just as flabbergasted as me and the karate boy. We all stared at the smaller boy who noticed the bug-eyed looks everyone was throwing at him. Several even expressed disgusted looks. For a moment, nobody said anything because really, what the fuck kind of quirk was _sticky balls_?

"Uhhh..." Iida and I stared.

"Uhhh..." the villains echoed.

"NOT LIKE _THAT_ , YOU IDIOTS!" Mineta screamed angrily at our faces, his fear momentarily forgotten.

With lightning quick reflexes, Mineta reached for the top of his head and plucked one of the spheres he had for hair. He threw it in a random direction where it sailed until landed on some random bad guy's chest. Startled, the guy tried to pull it off him like somebody had wiped their booger on his naked chest, but rather than it falling off with a quick swipe, his hand was unable to pull away either.

"What the hell?! It won't come off!"

"Oh." Iida and I said in unison, the both of us strangely feeling relieved of the demonstration.

"You guys are disgusting!" raged the midget.

"Shut your trap, you little jackass!" I angrily retorted as I swung my leg violently to shake him off. "You're the last person I'd wanna hear telling me I'm sick in the head!"

" _Tch_! Let's kill them already!" one thug spat as they aimed their machete at us. "I'm dying to carve up these so-called U.A. prodigies!"

"Didn't you hear what Shigaraki said?! Don't underestimate these kids!" another snapped.

Shigaraki had to be the guy who orchestrated the attack. Thinking back when the black vortex appeared at the fountain center, there was a guy with a severed hand on his face, several severed hands in fact. And there was the black, beefy guy with the exposed brain keeping him company...

"Why bother? These little shit stains die faster than flies!"

These villains had to have been picked up off the streets because they didn't seem to mesh well. However, given the sizes and the strengths, these guys had to be the brawling types you's usually find in illegal fighting rings. Iida and I needed to take them out and quickly because the element of surprise wasn't going to work forever, and there was their quirks to consider. I didn't want to wait around for them to attack me with something that could potentially put me down long enough for somebody else to take a headshot.

"We have to take them out and catch up with everyone else." I tell my two companions. "Mineta, you're quirk is good for capture, right?"

"Y-yeah! Depending on how good I'm feeling, those guys can stay stuck for _hours_!"

"Okay," I nodded. "I need you do me a favor and let me go—"

Mineta opened his mouth to protest, but I grabbed his shoulder.

"I'm not gonna leave you to die, you dumbass."

"I'll be damned before I abandon anyone either." Iida reassured the smaller boy.

As far as I knew, Mineta was another annoying little jerk who talked trash behind my back when he thought I was too far away to hear him (and several others) what they thought about me, but right now he was pleading for me not to abandon him. He had nobody to turn to, not his parents to assure him, not his teachers to guide him, and not his heroes to save him: just me.

So I had to suck it up and remember that this was no longer about looking after me; if a four-year-old Izuku could convince me to help him catch a purse snatcher with a volley ball net and succeed, I could most certainly take out a bunch of stupid meatheads with the power of One for All in my possession.

"The moment Iida and I take on these crackpots..." I started to explain to Mineta.

" _Hah_! Stupid kids think they can plot in front of us!" one villain rushed forward, scissors for hands striking forward. "You're dea—"

 _thwak!_

My arm snapped back to my side after having sent the scissors guy flying back.

"If you all are so eager to get your asses kicked," I crouched low, orange static sparking to life all around me. "Then by all means, I'll gladly oblige you!"

That statement must've ticked them off because a first wave of villains came running towards us from all around. Between me and Iida, Mineta let out another frightened yelp and tried to fold over himself like an ostrich burying their head in the sand, a useless tactic against a barrage of enemies. I quickly reached backwards and grabbed Iida by the arm, silently conveying to him what was about to happen. In response, the other boy wrapped his own wrist around my forearm and his legs roared to life.

And so I launched Iida forward towards the incoming villains. Some of the guys were surprise, few stopping to gawk as they probably thought I was sacrificing one of my classmates to save myself.

"Gomu Gomu no... _CYLINDER_!"

But that couldn't be further from the truth.

Like a human-sized spinning wrecking ball, Iida was swung around in a wide arc as I twisted my torso in circles, watching him crash into the bodies that went falling like pieces of the dominoes. Once the first wave was clear, I released Iida, watching the other teen land then roll until he steadied himself in a half kneeling position. He didn't look too off balance from the spinning, but I could guess he had some training with his engine quirk.

"What the hell are you waiting for?! Get 'em!"

Like I thought, their offensive formation was absolutely atrocious. Yet I wasn't going to assume everything would remain under control to mine and my companions' favor, so I needed to act fast before they threw in the first punch.

"One for All: Gomu Gomu no..." I aimed at the largest group. " _GATLING_!"

My fists flew and they dented armored plates, broke facial bones, cracked ribs, attacked unguarded abdomens, and sent small fries flying backwards to join the still unconscious eight-armed creep. Thinking that another group could attack me from behind, I twisted around to beat them down as well. While I couldn't cover everyone, Iida was able to pick up the pace by running down the stragglers.

"Mineta!" Iida called out. "Use your quirk, _NOW_!"

With a desperate cry, Mineta began to frantically pluck the spheres from his head and throw them all around the fallen villains. Iida quickly responded by kicking them together (while being careful not to touch the spheres himself). It was like watching a gameplay of that video game Katamari Damashii as more and more villains began to pile up together, all of them squirming and complaining they they were too glued together to move.

Putting a halt to my Gatling attack, I spotted a handful of villains who were smart enough to fall back and get out of the range of my powerful barrage.

"Now what?" Mineta demanded, and I was a bit started to see a thin trail of blood flowing down his forehead. It probably had to be a drawback to his quirk.

"Now we get real busy." I replied.

I lunged forward the same time Iida moved in. No longer depending on my rubber quirk, I instead focused on my hand-to-hand combat that I've learned both throughout the years with Tsuchiya and most recently with Cyan and Noctis. I didn't have to hold back and keep my power in check like back in school, I didn't have to worry about how much strength I was putting behind my punches when I attacked Todoroki because these bastards who intended to kill me and classmates didn't deserve the same treatment.

So I didn't hesitate to grab somebody by the wrist and squeeze hard enough that it shattered their bone. I didn't flinch when I caught another guy swinging their blunt weapon at Iida's back and broke their leg by kicking the knee hard enough to making it bend backwards. I didn't cringe at the sickening crunch when I grabbed one lady and used her as a human bat to take down another attacker. I didn't blink when I felt their bones fall apart under my fists.

I didn't stop until every last one of them was down.

And stayed down.

It finally fell quiet, albeit the moans of pain coming from those still barely conscious. Iida and I stood in the middle of the carnage, eyes darting around to make sure nobody was planning to get up and attack. Mineta stood a safe distance, body still trembling a little from either the rush or the fear (or both).

Until a loud buzzing pierced through the noise again.

It was the chainsaw guy Iida had knocked down earlier, climbing back clumsily on their multiple feet to go a second round. Twin chainsaws roared to life as the Goliath villain let out a bellowing roar that made my skin ripple a little from. Then he proceeded to charge like a bull, chainsaws aimed towards us. With Mineta too busy screaming in terror, me and Iida exchanged silent looks.

The both of us charged straight towards the villain.

Without meaning to, I found myself thinking back on the time when Izuku and I first started attending middle school. It was during that period when schoolyard fights got a little serious, the older kids who harassed us for our status getting an epic beat down in the deserted parking lots or abandoned streets. I never really had to worry about turning my back because I knew Izuku was always there to cover for me.

The whole thing felt familiar to me, all of it clicking into place as Iida and I charged together to take down the one guy who was too stupid to know when to quit while he was ahead.

With twin roars, we both leapt high in the air, twisting our bodies with a boot and gauntlet ready to meet the maniac's face.

...

Momo felt herself falling. However, before she could do anything to prevent a hard impact that would have definitely resulted in broken bones, something wrapped around her midsection and carefully swung her forward. She flinched when things began to scratch at her face that she summoned a shield from her arm, along with a cushion in another to press her against it so she wouldn't further harm herself. The shield did a great job to cover her face but not protect the rest of her body, leaving scratches and tiny trails of red marks on her exposed skin, but she ignored it.

She needed to be careful with what she created because it was a matter of life or death, so her quirk usage had to be kept to a minimum.

Finally, the strong momentum slowed down enough that she reached out and grabbed something sturdy enough to hold her weight. She bit her lop when her arm flared a little at the yanking, but thankfully it was small and manageable.

" _Phew_! That was close!"

Sero.

She and Sero had disappeared together from the entrance, only to wind up in what looked to be a forest area. The trees which she fell through, great for Sero to use his tape to catch himself and acting quickly to save her as well.

"Thank you." Momo nodded as she used the sharp end of the shield to cut through the tape keeping her up.

"No problem." Sero pulled back his helmet. "So what next?"

Before she could open her mouth to tell him the plan, she paused at the sound of something small whistling. And it was growing louder by the second. Acting on instinct, Momo lunged towards Sero and they both fell behind a tree—where three bone-like spikes landed where they once stood.

"Well shit!" Sero cursed.

"We need to take them out first before we can do anything else," Momo said as she used her shield's shiny surface to act as a mirror. "I can't use up my quirk."

"What do you mean?"

"I need to save it for something important."

"And this isn't?!" the dark-haired boy pointed at the spikes.

"If I use up all my energy, I won't be able to get the school's attention." she narrowed her eyes once she spotted a few distant figures reflected on the shield.

"The school's attention?" Sero felt his brow furrow to match how puzzled he felt.

 _"You sent the soft ball the farthest than everyone else in the class! Maybe if you send it flying higher again, everyone else will see it, too!"_

His eyes widened.

Originally, Sero had thought it weird as hell when Sengoku started yelling out loud about the time Class 1-A took Aizawa-sensei's surprise physical quirk tests, but then he remembered who exactly was the one to take the first spot in the ranking—and how exactly they earned it.

So of course Sengoku realized how bad the situation was turning out for them, and he took quick actions by calling out the person he believed was everyone's best bet in increasing their chances of survival.

The guy was also smart enough not to call out their name in front of the villain who sent them disappearing to random parts of the USJ, hiding their identity while speaking to the intended person in plain sight. It was for the best, Sero thought, or otherwise it would have painted a target on their backs. Had the villains known, the whole area would be crawling with more villains aiming to snuff the person before they had a chance to do something.

Sero knew that this person needed to be protected at all costs because their survival depended on them.

On Yaoyorozu Momo.

"Okay," he pulled his helmet back on. "Tell me how many there are, where their position is, and I'll take out as many as I can."

Momo closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was no longer the classroom where everyone was safe and there was no Pro hero to keep them safe, this was reality and it was ugly and bloody. But as frightened as she felt, she pulled back her desperation and turned it into motivation. Fear was overwhelming, but it was the fuel she needed to act in order to beat down anyone who dared to claim her life.

Her life had already been claimed one too many times. First her parents, then the companies, and then several others clients from private agencies. She didn't want to be anyone's tool anymore. She didn't want to be looked at as something to be used over and over again like an endless source of supplies for people to demand when there was no one else to turn to, throwing money at her feet while their hands reached for her. She didn't want to be only recognized for her quirk that created the things people needed to supply themselves.

All she ever wanted was somebody to tell her that they needed Yaoyorozu Momo.

And for the first time in her entire life, somebody actually did need her to save them.

A foul-mouthed, arrogant boy who was the cause of so much grief, who had caused her to become the supply source of the entire nation (including her own family), the boy who accused her of being a rich princess who had everything at her beck and call, cried out to her to be the one to save them.

And when she heard him, it was as if he spoke in a tone that he _knew_ she would.

That she would save them all.

And she was going to prove that she could.

Momo was going to be their hero!


	18. Chapter II: The Young & The Menacing

**A/N:** Woohoo~! Oh yeah, second part is here, what's up! I hope you all had a wonderful and delicious dinner at the 22nd of November, I know I did (until the rest of the family came in and gobbled it all up for themselves, leaving me to nibble on cornbread). But whatever, foods gone and I got a kitchen to clean up with plenty of dishes and utensils to wash, a lot of work but doable as there wasn't too many people at the dinner table. Anyway, let's check the reviews!

 _ **QuestingforBitches,**_ *Dexter gif* Surprise Motherfucker!

 _ **Prince,**_ _Awww_ , I wanted to get this out before you tried to review the previous chapter! Oh well, here's another one for you!

 _ **nightcerulean12,**_ Most of the people reading this story wish for Aksel to drop dead, too.

 _ **Quest34135,**_ Yeah, with Iida disappearing, the next best option was Momo, so she's going to save the day while trying not to get her ass killed. Uraraka's reason isn't what you think but you are correct in the fact that she is living a much more better home where her family could afford things now that they got the money (though it's not an earning to be proud of considering their paycheck is from the destruction of cities with innocent lives caught in the line of fire). As for the Kuzan-Aizawa deal, you're going to have to read the rest of the story.

 _ **Kami no Kage,**_ I can agree, my mistake on not making it more pulling enough, but in a way we're barely getting to know Toshinori in this story and that's why we don't get as much flashbacks of his past regarding the Gunnarsen-Japan fall-out. And we're also barely meeting those who were heavily affected by the fall-out, so in that metaphor where we're all tucked away somewhere safe while there is something dangerous going on outside, this is my way of Kuzan getting more and more exposed to the effects his grandfather caused to the people. I didn't want to pop it up so soon but gradually build it up, but several of those stories will be expanded upon on my side-story series.

 ** _TRASHKIING,_** Yeah, I kind of hinted it in the previous chapter as they were heading towards the USJ, but there will be an explanation on how he knew something was about to happen without resorting to revelations of everyone's existence being the product of a popular anime show he watched in his previous life.

 _ **XxlaniidaexX,**_ My God, there's like two other authors going around making up these theories and I'm sitting behind my desk sweating like a sinner in church. The whole story will come up, but it won't be for awhile and the mystery of the black armband will remain a mystery until then. As for his hobbies, we didn't get to see much of it because he was too lost in his apathy after Izuku's passing and he was also busy studying his ass off while training with All Might to get ready. But there are hints of his interests: he really loves to listen to music. He and All Might wander inside the stores browsing classic songs to listen to.

 ** _BIackForest,_** Yeah, I just wanted to try something new instead of repeating the same old formula because there's going to be plenty of regurgitating from the source material in later chapters.

 _ **justloverreadin,**_ THAT part really bothered me a lot! Aizawa jumping in after we were informed by Thirteen that they were not a combatant hero, they're mainly a rescue type and therefore have little experience on how to fend people off except sucking them in with they're black hole quirk. So yeah, Aizawa's move, while epic and cool on the screen, was a stupid move on his part. They just saw a guy teleporting a horde of nasty villains, why did he think it was a good idea to abandon the kids?!

 _ **ReadingnerdOtaku,**_ Yeah, this Momo is a little more aloof than the original Momo. I was inspired by Weiss from RWBY because both characters are born in a wealthy family with everything at their disposal (most of the time), but their lives are already predestined by their parents.

 _ **Mr. Beaver Buttington,**_ _WHOA_ BRUH, _WHOA_! IS YOUR MOMO-HATE THAT STRONG?! OAO'

 _ **redskin122004,**_ Dude's gonna get an epic wake up call, that's all I'm going to tell you right now.

 _ **Phantom Aficionado,**_ Man, that's gotta suck. I'd go crazy not being able to write out the stories when I'm in the motivated mood but then lose it the second it gets back into working order. Hope that your end turns out okay and you'll be joining the rest of us whenever you get the chance. Hey, quick question: should I make the Ice Flame x CHAOTIC a solo fic rather than added to "Rubber Band Theory"?

 _ **Marisandini,**_ Wow, you got a lot to say and I'm impressed that you're impressed, lol (and just so you know, I'm not in the Harry Potter fandom so I'm kind of confused with the Snape!Aizawa deal you mentioned). Izuku's death wasn't a random decision but something I've planned carefully while looking into the story and its direction, but even in death his presence is never gone. Izuku is an important driving force in the story, so he won't be going anywhere. Kuzan and All Might's relationship is something I love to write about because there is so much more to the guy besides his sunflower smiles. Like I mentioned before, Kuzan doesn't see All Might as a Ken doll people want to admire, criticize, or possess, he just sees a man who's too stubborn for his own good and wishes he could look after himself properly instead of further harming himself in trying to save others.

Yeah, Kuzan's a hypocrite when he instantly judged Momo who judged him, but we'll see how that'll turn out for them once the USJ arc is over. However, this prejudice thing is going to play a role between Kuzan and another certain character that's going to be in for a bumpy ride on the road to making things right. And as for Class 1-A, let's just say near death experiences will push people together because threats such as the assault in USJ can show people's true characters.

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

 **WARNING** **:** In this chapter, there is a heavy topic about attempted rape, so please read with caution.

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter II: Part VIII**

 **.**

* * *

"Do you see them?" one villain croaked to the others.

"No, but I bet they're still cowering behind the tree." said another as they adjusted the lenses of their binoculars.

"Let's flush them out."

"Roger that."

There was a total of thirteen villains with their group. Eleven of them slowly began to approach the hiding spot where the two students hid behind when one of their own, a woman with a quirk that could shoot bones from her forearms, tried to aim for their heads. Two other villains stealthily made their way from high up on the tree branches, making sure not to disturb the weak branches as they needed not to reveal their locations. They would strike from above in case one or two of the students evaded an attack from the others.

Back to the ground level, the woman with the bone projectile quirk grumbled under her breath. The person closest to her rolled his eyes from behind his wide goggles as he heard the familiar stream of complaints.

"Why don't these stupid kids ever sit still long enough for me to kill them?" she huffed. "I would've been quick about it, but _nooo_ , they have to run and cry."

"Don't worry," her binocular-wearing comrade sarcastically drawled. "I'm sure the next time you want to go slaughter some kids, they'll be smart enough to wait for you to kill them."

"Oh, shut up," she growled as she waved away several leaves that fell onto her long red hair. "Remind me never to take up your invitations to go on a killing spree."

"I thought you liked killing people?"

"I do," she growled as she waved more leaves away. "I just hate killing juniors because they piss me off for running around so much, and then it gets _messy_ for me."

"Isn't that how you usually pick 'em when you want to take them back to your apartment?"

She turned to retort to her short companion—

 ** _crash!_**

Startled by the noise and the small pieces of branches falling, they both automatically jumped away in time to avoid something crashing harshly into the ground where they once were. Arms and weapons snapping towards the source, all the villains paused once they realized what it was: it was their own men.

To be specific, it was the two villains who had taken the route on the high branches of the trees, the both of them wrapped together in what appeared to be white tape, their mouths completely muffled. Not that it mattered considered how unresponsive they were, most likely knocked out with a few hits to the face if the blossoming bruises were anything to go by.

The red-haired woman narrowed her eyes and gnashed her teeth as she reached for the leaves that were in her hair; while she was distracted by the stupid small talk she had with her comrade, she and everyone had been left utterly oblivious to what was happening right above their heads.

If there was one thing she hated above all else besides children, it was being the butt of some stupid ass joke.

Her violent gaze flicked up towards the trees.

"God, I fucking hate kids," she snarled angrily before calling out an order to the rest. "Eyes up!"

No less than a second later after the order was issued, some unlucky bastard gave out a screech from behind. She and the others only turned in time to see one of their own trapped in the very same tape before he disappeared inside the heavy foliage. Their screaming was immediately silenced a few seconds later. The group looked around, moving their feet in the hopes that they would spot the little bastard hiding up on the branches. She shot one bone when she saw a flash of white whizzing by, branches giving a slight tremble and patches of leaves falling from the disturbance.

"Come down here," she snarled as she whirled around to aim her arms at the branches above. " _You little piece of shit_!"

"Ask me nicely and I just might!" the juvenile replied, his voice too spread out that it made it difficult to pinpoint where he was hiding.

"Please come down here," she began before spinning rapidly to shoot more of her bone spikes all around. "SO I CAN FUCKING RIP YOUR HEAD OFF AND SHIT DOWN YOUR THROAT!"

Another reason why she hated children besides their stubbornness to stay still whenever she killed one, sometimes they'll start spouting stupid shit when they thought they were being clever or something. It made her ire grow from hearing their irritating voices that she knew that the moment she caught this fucker, it was going to be another mess.

"Calm down—"

"DON'T FUCKING TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" she snapped at her fellow villains. She wanted nothing more than to get this job done and over with.

"Somebody's on their period today!" the brat taunted.

"WHAT'D YOU—?!" she started to screech before quickly cutting herself off.

That did not sound like it had come from the trees, she thought.

Next thing everyone knew, they were thrown off their feet when something snapped at their ankles and shins. Their attention focused on Sero and his quick attacks, they had failed to notice Momo setting up wires around the ground floor. It was a long spring chord that was able to stretch while also strong enough to carry heavy weight. She watched carefully as they moved into position before releasing the steel chord.

Once on the floor, Sero was immediately on them. The red-haired woman was the first to go, her legs captured by the white tape and he swung in the air to gain enough momentum and strength to carry her up and slam her into the nearest tree. Momo almost winced at the woman's harsh impact against the bark of the tree, but wincing meant sympathy and she had no sympathy for these murderers.

Pulling up a steel staff from her thigh, she joined in with Sero to take down the group because Sero couldn't take them all on quickly. The man with the binoculars was barely getting up, reaching for his firearms when she swung her staff down on his wrist, hearing the bone snap. The man howled but he was cut off with a simple hit on the temple from her heels. Watching another another scrambling up, Momo expertly flipped the staff around her torso so it would end up on her other hand, twirling her body like a dancer before aiming a wide arc against the attacker's exposed back. They instantly buckled and like the binocular-wearing villain, she finished the fight with another kick to the temple.

"You're dead, girly!" she turned around to find two of them rushing towards her.

However, Sero appeared from the trees and lowered himself so that he was sliding across the ground to pick his feet up and slam them on the back of the duo's knees. The two men went to fall, but Sero quickly detached his swinging tapes to summon a new line to wrap around the two men before yanking his arms across his chest which made the villains jerk forward in the direction of the pull which caused their heads to slam into another another.

Momo and Sero shared a triumphant smile.

Unfortunately, their fight wasn't over. Movement from the corner of her eye had her whipping her head in time to see a lanky man with a quiver strapped to his back diving towards them after a mighty leap in the air. Surrounding him, flying rings with sharp edges followed the movements of his hands (a telekinesis type quirk), and she could see how badly this could be for her and Sero.

Even knowing how useless it would be, she still shoved Sero aside while raising up her steel staff to combat against her attacker, watching the small rings start towards her with the intention of slicing her body to bits—when a muscular tail slammed the back of the man's head, effectively knocking him into unconsciousness.

"Holy shit," Sero scrambled back to his feet with a wide smile on his face. "Ojiro!"

"Sorry I'm late," the blond gave the two of them a sheepish grin while wiping the dirt and blood off his sweaty forehead. "I didn't get to reach anyone so I kind of ended up on my own against this whole group of villains. Thankfully, the trees provided enough cover for me to use a bit of the hit-and-run tactics on them."

Momo felt a rush of relief at seeing another classmate; not only was he safe and mostly unharmed despite his ruffled appearance, but she gained another ally to help push back the enemy forces while she worked on the plan to alert the school. However, before she could act on it, they needed to secure the area while also keeping an eye out on the remaining villains Ojiro escaped from.

Chances were that they had recovered and were regrouping to attack the three of them, and Momo really didn't want to deal with a whole troop of them. They needed to take care of this batch first before they could deal with the next that was probably already searching for them.

"Sero, let's get the chord and round up the villains."

"Yeah," Sero agreed then turned to Ojiro. "C'mon, help me out."

Within a few short minutes, and it was amazing how fast they accomplished the job (though Momo suspected it was due to the dire situation they all landed themselves in), all three of them gathered the unconscious villains and had them tied down in the powerful chord and sticky tape to keep them from escaping. Ojiro went so far to remove every weapon in their possessions and buried it in the ground beneath a patch of grass he carefully dug up so not to make the location obvious.

"Alright Yaoyorozu," Ojiro turned to the tall girl. "What's the plan?"

"We have to alert the school."

The blond gave her an unsure look.

"Uhh... how exactly does one alert a school when communication is impossible and there's no way to get past the warp guy?" Ojiro questioned.

Momo smiled.

"Simple: we force the school's attention."

There was a small pause.

"... I'm not following." Ojiro finally admitted.

"Dude," Sero grinned as he clapped a hand over the blond's white shirt. "Don't you remember? Back at the quirk assessment test with Aizawa-sensei?"

"Sorry, I was too busy trying not to get expelled on the first day of school." Ojiro rolled his eyes at the other boy.

"Her cannon, you dummy!" Sero laughed while giving the other boy's shoulder a slight shake.

That got the blond's attention lickety-split. It made a lot of sense now that it was pointed out for him. To those who hadn't understood Sengoku's vague message, Momo needed to create a cannon to get the school's attention. Conserving her energy and fat for the task was important, and as much as her body twitched at the want to create plenty of arsenals to defend herself, she needed to get this plan into motion or else risk dooming everyone and herself to the villains.

"Why do I get the feeling there's a but in this?" Ojiro wondered as he crossed his arms.

"Well, there is a slight problem." Momo admitted.

"What? Is something wrong?" Sero looked aghast. "You can't make the cannon?!"

"No, it's not that. I can make it no problem," she assured the dark-haired boy. "My main concern is the fact that once I create an opening, the next shot will be much more difficult to accomplish."

"Why not get it one shot? You can just make a bigger cannon, right?"

"I can, but it'll take most of my energy and I don't want to leave myself more vulnerable than necessary," she explained. "Anyway, let's say I blew up the roof. Then what?"

"The teachers come running, duh."

"I don't think so," Ojiro disagreed with Sero as he caught on to her point. "They'll probably think someone in our class went a little crazy with their quirk and blew up the roof. We got a couple of powerful people in our class, remember?"

"Exactly." Momo confirmed.

"Oh, damn." Sero cursed. "It doesn't help that we're all inside the USJ."

"That's why I need to reload the cannon to shoot emergency red smoke bombs." Momo said. "Emergency red smoke bombs are considered to be high priority signals that are used only in extreme situations. They're not permitted to be used in demonstrations."

"Yeah, my teacher said it'd be like a cry wolf situation when a normally safe place had been compromised and the heroes don't know if its a false alarm or not. That's why you only see them on video presentations or in the news; it's for last resort use only."

The blond suddenly realized something. "Wait a minute! That's gonna draw attention to ourselves! They'll be crawling all over this place the moment you blow up the roof!"

"I know," the tall girl nodded as she stared at the ground. "But we have no other options. It'll be hours before someone at the school notices we haven't come back, and by the time they reach us, we'll all be—"

She and her classmates would become another statistic in the charts. Class 1-A would simply be another tragedy that was stifled before they could finish their first week in school, several weeks away before they could even begin their first internships. Her name would be added on a plaque on the wall within the memorial hall of the school. She and her classmates wouldn't be remembered as the ones who died in the line of duty, merely children killed because All Might was not present and therefore convenient targets for the villains to pick off with ease.

She didn't want to die like this.

A hand touched her shoulder.

Ojiro looked nervous, but he gave her a reassuring smile.

"I trust you to save us, Yaoyorozu."

Ojiro, Sero, Sengoku...

She inhaled before giving a steady exhale.

"Please turn around." Momo instructed the two boys as she reached for her leotard.

With pink cheeks, the two did as they were told and carefully kept guard of the area in case anymore surprises showed up. There was flashes of rainbow-colored lights coming from behind them, but they remained focus on the view in front of them. It only lasted a little over a minute, and soon the two noticed how the light died down back to normal.

"It's ready."

They turned to find a cannon sitting on top a board with wheels.

"So we don't have to leave it behind." Momo offered a weak shrug.

Sero only snapped a tape around one of the handles decorated on the large barrel, creating another for the opposite side so they could be used to cart the cannon in case they needed to make a run for it.

"Can one of you guys find out where our position is exactly? See if you can spot the entrance point and I can take it from there."

Wordlessly, Sero hauled himself up on the trees and catapulted himself high in the air above the tree tops to get a good look of the area. They were situated in a forest that was directly across the central plaza which led up the entrance, which meant the direction of the school would be located east. They were situated between the Mountain Zone and Fire Zone. He soon joined the others down below and relayed the information.

"If only I could get a good look at the Mountain Zone, I can't risk wasting a shot if it's only going to hit the side of the mountain. And some of our classmates might be up there!" Momo wrung her hands together in distress.

She really didn't want to use her quirk, but if she had to...

Next to her, Ojiro snapped his fingers.

"Wait, I think I got something," the blond ran back to where the villains were tied up. She and Sero watched as he searched for a certain item until he came upon the short villain Momo had first attacked. Ojiro yanked the goggled off the man's head and presented it to her. "I think this'll do you some good."

Taking the item from her classmate's hands, she raised it up and looked through the lenses. Miraculously, the goggle-shaped binoculars worked as she zoomed the lenses to peek through the trees and face eastward towards the Mountain Zone.

There appeared a gap between the twin peeks, a gap large enough for the cannon ball to go through and hit the east side of the roof without risking any damage to the area. Carefully, she positioned the cannon and did quick mathematical guessing. Once she felt confident that the cannon barrel was raised high enough to handle the distance between their location towards the edge of dome's roof, she turned to her two companions.

"Ready whenever you are, Yaoyorozu!"

With a nod, she motioned for the boys to get behind the cannon and to cover their ears. Taking hold of a small rope that would ignite a small spark, she prayed that this shot would stay true to it course.

She pulled the firing chord.

 _ **KA-BOOOOM!**_

...

Eijirō took great satisfaction in crashing his hardened fist in the villain's face while taking care not to catch the jerk's eyes. The bastard nearly killed him earlier when the redhead made the mistake of looking directly into his gaze, leaving him unable to move for a short period of time which could have costed him his life had it not been for the explosion against the back of head that knocked him away in time to avoid getting his throat sliced open.

Bakugō was all wrath and power, blowing everything up sky high from left to right, almost blending in the fake city caught on fire. They both ended up in the Conflagration Zone with a gang of villains surrounding them, and while they were greatly outnumbered, it didn't stop them from surging forward to get the first punch or kick. Their enemies were armed to the teeth, but these guys were still caught off guard from the vicious fight (or rather, they weren't expecting Bakugō's explosions when he raised an open glove to their startled faces).

The whole fight seemed to almost last forever, but it had actually ended quickly than expected with just a few explosive blasts and hard hits from either of them. Eijirō looked around the area and gave a small impressive whistle; the charred-looking goons were probably going to have to be hospitalized before they could be transferred to a prison. That Bakugō certainly didn't pull his punches.

"That was awesome, dude!" Eijirō grinned at his classmate.

"Shut up," the boy grunted as he looked around the area some more. "That can't be all of them."

"Hoping to kick some more bad guy ass?" the redhead joked.

"You wanna get stabbed in the face or something?!" Bakugō snapped at him. "You fucking moron, keep your guard up! We could've missed somebody and I don't want to be the idiot who got done in because I thought the coast was clear!"

Straightening his once calm posture, Eijirō looked about for any signs of a straggler that was waiting for the opportune moment to strike when their guard was down. He's heard plenty of stories where the victors of a fight had gotten careless and most of the time lost their lives because of it. Right as he was about to look elsewhere, something in the corner of his eyes shimmered down the burning street that it gave him a pause. There was nothing but a crumpled street with a few burning cars, yet the redhead hesitated to dismiss it.

Maybe Bakugō was onto something after all.

"Hey." Eijirō whispered to call the blond's attention.

"Yeah." Bakugō mumbled under his breath. "Turn around and play it cool."

It was a terrifying thing to leave his back wide open since hardening it would only give away that he was onto the hidden villain, but the redhead trusted his classmate that he did as he was told and made a show of dismissing the search. They both pretended to make their way towards the exit, and Eijirō kept up the charade by throwing flattery to his companion while also pausing between the remarks to hear for approaching footsteps.

When he turned to his companion, he saw the shimmering thing again and it took everything in him not to react to it. The redhead smiled like nothing was wrong, but his widening eyes to Bakugō was incentive enough for the other boy to surprise their little follower with an explosion. While he was far from an expert when it came to analyzing people's quirks, the redhead thought the invisible quirk was not like that of Hagakure's. Instead, their power looked more like the reflective surface of a soap bubble.

"I can definitely see why you've made it to the top five in the practical exa—"

Their was sudden movement, and Eijirō made a noise since he couldn't move fast enough to call Bakugō's name, yet it didn't matter.

Because his classmate turned in time to catch the villain by the face and spark fire and smoke. There was a muffles scream, but it quickly died down to nothing as their invisible cloak disappeared and they fell in a heap on the ground. The redhead winced at the sight, taking in the charred skin and the blood.

"That was overkill, bro!"

"These bastard bragged about killing us, and I can bet that this isn't their first rodeo." Bakugō sneered as he kicked the villain by the shoulder, red eyes blazing with malice as they gave a pathetic groan of pain. "Why should I extend any mercy to them? The only mercy they'll get from me is not putting an end to their fucking shit lives."

Before he could say anything, the two of them jumped at the sound of something exploding beyond the burning area the were hold up inside of. It sounded much more powerful than Bakugō's quirk.

"Whoa, what the hell was that?!" he looked around, eyeing the ceiling of the zone warily in case it would fall over their heads.

" _Tch_! About time..." Bakugō scoffed from beside him before returning his stride towards the entrance of the zone.

"What are you talking about, man?"

"Why don't you actually use your fucking brain instead of focusing on putting up that stupid hairdo, you fucking moron!" the blond teen snapped at him. "That had to be the Stripperella chick using her huge ass cannon to call for back up from the school!"

"W-wait a minute, how do you know that...?" Eijirō stared after him in confusion.

The teen clicked his tongue in irritation as he spared the redhead a livid look.

"Because that damn crybaby told her to do it before we all ended up in these shithole zones."

Eijirō blinked.

 _'There was a plan?'_

To be honest, Eijirō thought that Sengoku was giving a final farewell to his classmates since death seemed imminent for them all. It almost made the redhead tear up a little when the tall boy reminisced out loud about their first class session together, and Eijirō himself wanted to think of the good times (however brief they were) he had with the people he met in Class 1-A.

But apparently, according to Bakugō, the dude was only passing along a secret message to Yaoyorozu right under everyone's (mostly the villain's) noses.

"Huh."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Tangerine hues tracked the cannon ball until it blasted a hole at the edge of the dome's roof, debris and plexiglass falling apart from the impact.

"Atta girl." I whispered under my breath while still clutching the collar of a villain who I had beaten into bloody unconsciousness.

From around the area, the dust slowly began to settle after Iida finally allowed himself to sit down and relax his legs from running around so much. Bodies littered the broken streets with some hanging off lamp posts and car hoods. With only a few of them succumbing to the peaceful oblivion after a few blows, others were left to suffer with dislocated arms or twisted legs. A quiet stream of noise filtered around like an orchestra, their pain evident with every exhale, all of them begging for respite from their brutal injuries, but no mercy was coming for them.

Mineta wobbly made his way towards Iida, his cape no longer hanging off his shoulders but tied around his head to staunch the blood from heavy excessive use of his pop off quirk. The smaller boy flopped on the ground next to the bespectacled class rep, letting out a small groan which blended with the other criminals that I almost missed it. Giving the villain in my hands on last kick on the ribs to make sure he stayed down, I released him and turned to join the two others.

"That was Yaoyorozu, wasn't it?" Iida asked as panted.

"Yeah." I confirmed.

"Reckless plan but doable given the circumstances," the karate boy finally calmed his breath and glanced down at our third companion. "Are you alright, Mineta?"

"I feel so dizzy..." the midget rasped from his place on the ground.

The Disaster Zone, as it was aptly named for the wreckage surrounding us, was where Iida, Mineta, and myself ended up in after our separation from the rest of our classmates near the facility's entrance. I easily spotted the huge staircase and the purple doors from where I stood, but I saw no sign of the students which meant they were also scattered elsewhere. I could smell a few of them, but others were muted (probably because they were in areas like the Storm and Conflagration Zones due to heavy rain and smoke).

The thought of these kids, some like Mineta not really capable of fending off enemies despite their quirks, made my stomach coil with worry.

"We need to go." I said.

" _Go_?" Mineta perked up with hope in his eyes. "We're getting out of here?"

"No," I shook my head. "I mean we gotta go look for the rest of our classmates."

The small boy blanched at the thought.

"He's right," karate boy stood up from his makeshift seat. "Besides, if we can gather enough people to help Yaoyorozu, we have a chance for the teachers to arrive and drive away these villains."

The smaller boy let out another groan before flopping face first back into the cracked pavement. There was no doubt in anyone's minds that Mineta would rather duck for cover and wait for the professionals to arrive than dive back in to the danger. Iida and I needed to join then and while it was tempting to dump the baggage so we could move on, there was a risk that Mineta could be captured and killed since there was no one around to keep him safe.

"C'mon, let's go." I said as I easily plucked the midget from the floor to tuck under my arm.

"Where shall we start first?" the karate boy wondered out loud.

Giving the facility another look around on where we could start our search for the other students, I immediately dismissed the direction where the large staircase was because that would mean getting to the fountain where that idiot Aizawa was fighting off the hordes of villains. Looking for another way, I paused when something between the crooked buildings caught my eyes.

It looked like a city swallowed up by the earth.

"That's the Landslide Zone, right?" I said as I pointed towards the area.

"I believe so, yes." Iida slowly nodded his head. "And past that would be the Mountain Zone, the next would be the Conflagration Zone, and the Flood Zone, then finally the Storm Zone."

A few whiffs from the Landslide Zone's direction allowed me to catch a few scents beyond the villainous stench: sugary sweets, the somewhat pungent smell of sulfur (yuck), and takoyaki

"Satō, Ashido, and Shōji are over there."

"Are they having trouble?"

I scrunched my brows to concentrate. "The landslide stinks of those bastards."

"We should hurry up and join them! They'll need our help!"

The both of us took off in a hurry. While I was already faster than the average person because of my extensive work out at Dagobah Beach, I couldn't keep up with Iida's pace, so I had to use One for All to boost my legs to match his every gallop towards the Landslide Zone. We quickly navigated through the Disaster Zone, using several cars and tilted buildings as footholds to quickly get off the street level and into higher ground. It took only a few minutes to find the edge of the zone's perimeter, and I took in the wall that separated them.

"Here," I held out my arm. "Hold on!"

Iida didn't hesitate to grab my proffered limb.

With my rubber quirk powered up by One for All, we all were bounding over the wall like Free Willy. I took most of the impact of the landing, using it to propel us forward before releasing Iida to let him run on his own.

"That was kinda wicked." Mineta remarked from his place under my arm.

Yeah, it kind of was.

The path to where our classmates were started to get a tricky when the terrain quickly shifted from horizontal to slightly vertical. It wasn't long when we came across a group of villains that used the downhill momentum to quickly meet us head on. Beyond them, I could catch Ashido's little yelps of fright as she was probably dodging lethal attacks as best she could. Her fear grew almost palpable of spoiled eggs that I nearly gagged from breathing it in. If she let her panic take over then her movement would get sloppy which would the opening her attackers needed to kill her.

"Ashido's in trouble!" I informed the other boy. "You need to get there before they take her out!"

"How is he suppose to do that?!" Mineta demanded while waving his arms.

Halting our run, the villains were about to be on top of us when I grabbed Iida on the arm again.

"Run backwards as far as you can!"

Like all the previous times ever since we disappeared together in the dark portal, the other boy did not hesitate to follow my orders as he turned and ran the other direction while pulling on my arm. The villains were getting dangerously close and Mineta shrieked his opinion on the matter. Once I thought he was far enough, my body sparked to life and I yanked my arm forward with Iida latching on.

"One for All: Gomu Gomu no... _CATAPULT_!"

And the other went zooming up the mountain like a bullet. The villains that came at us ducked and dived out of the way to avoid getting bodily slammed by the student who could have possibly broke their bones if they hadn't gotten out of the way in time. Meanwhile, Mineta and I watched him rise up the landslide until his speed started to slow down, something of which he took care of on his own thanks to his legs.

I watched in satisfaction as he barreled into a group of villains, startling our classmates before their shock turned to relief.

"Uh, Sengoku!" Mineta quickly slapped his hand on my midsection. "Please kick their asses before they can kill either of us!"

The thugs that had dodged Iida raised themselves up before preparing for another attack.

"Sengoku...?" one of them squinted their eyes at me until recognition sparked in them. Like all the other times, I watched his face contort to something absolutely smoldering. "You're that fucking slut's bo—"

 ** _crack!_**

All eyes watched the body go flying the distance until they started to roll all the way down the landslide. They finally came to a stop near the edge where the earth started to flatten a little, their face flopped on the ground with no sign of getting back up. The others then slowly turned their heads back to where I was standing, all of them feeling the burning intensity of my death glare as I snarled at them.

"Any one of you cunts talks shit, you're gonna get the biggest bitch slap you've ever had since the day you decided to quit standing in your sad little street corners!"

Several minutes later, I was walking away with Mineta gaping at the writhing bodies I left behind.

 _'That was totally overkill!'_

Reaching the top, Ashido was no longer exuding the smell of rotten eggs and was instead focused on taking down an enemy that refused to go down. I paused as Shōji tried to capture him, Satō attempted to dislocate their jaw with an uppercut, and Iida failing to hit their backside.

The enemy had a water quirk that made them hard to injure because their attacks would hit nothing but moisture.

"Dammit!" Satō growled as he tried another attack.

" _Hah_! When are you gonna learn you can't land a blow on me? If this is all U.A. has to offer then it really is no brainer why kids like you die every day!"

" _SHUT UP_!" Iida vehemently cried as he angrily made another fruitless attempt to hurt the villain.

Silently setting the midget down, I strode to join the others where they were facing off against the mouthy bastard who looked to be having the time of his life. Yammering about how many people he's killed, bragging how many students he's murdered (all of it categorized in what year they were in school, which school they hailed from, and which kill counts he had the highest based on their gender), his words made the others either pale in horror or flush red with righteous fury.

"You really like to hear yourself talk, don't you?"

The villain paused when he noticed my presence. I pulled one of my gloves off so I could poke at my ear with the tip of my pinky as I gave the other murderer a bland look like he wasn't worth my time.

" _Haaah_? What are you going to do? Demand for an apology for all those kids I drowned? All those people who's—"

"I'm—" I monotonously interjected as I gave him a lazy blink of the eyes. "—not going to do anything. I was just here for my classmates, that's all."

I turned to the others.

"Let's go."

"But what about—?" Satō pointed at the villain but I waved my hand nonchalantly at the bulky teen.

"Don't worry about him. Let's just find the rest of the class." I said as I pulled Ashido while grabbing Iida's shoulder to force him to follow.

The two other boys hesitated but they slowly, with serious reluctance on their part, began to follow my lead. For a moment, everything was quiet and we came close to where Mineta was still standing when the villain behind us spoke up.

"W-what are you doing?"

"We're leaving. Duh."

"I just insulted your dead and you're not gonna do anything?"

"Why should I?" I snorted. "They're _dead_. Besides, it's pretty dumb to get mad over something you barely had any part in."

Another pause.

"What the _fuck_ did you just say?"

Ashido tensed but I squeezed her shoulder to reassure her. Beside me, Iida's fury ebbed away. The two other teens followed with confidence in their footsteps when they caught on to my poking and prodding. Be it scaring the crap out of them or making them angry, a person was going to lose their control and they were going to make a mistake that would cost them big time.

From what little observations I had on the enemy, the guy's quirk wasn't at all like the sludge villain All Might had taken out with a single swing of his punch. There was a moment where I heard his heartbeat but then it would liquefy when he used his quirk to avoid getting hit by Iida's kicks, yet I thought I heard his lungs when he inhaled. The villain wanted to make people think he was untouchable when in reality he only liquefied the parts where he was being attacked.

I had to get the bastard to react so I could throw an attack he couldn't see coming. It was too risky to attack him brazenly with One for All's power because I could probably end up killing (which was a big no-no despite the argument of self-defense) and we were standing in the middle of a landslide that didn't seem all that stable. I could end up burying people, especially my classmates, alive if I tried anything too powerful.

"You heard me," I continued to goad the villain. "You say you killed a lot of people, but my classmates are still standing here. You could've just as easily taken them out while I was too far away to help them, but all you seem to do is bore them to death with your babbling. No, I bet what you really do is stand by and watch your buddies do all the dirty work. I even bet that you have to wait for your boys to help hold the victims down in a sink or barrel _for_ you because you can't jack shit yourself. That's just so sad that I'd feel bad trying to take you out."

Normally, it was never a good idea to tick off a murdering individual, but if I wanted to take a shot in bringing him down as my options were limited and time was not on my side, I was going to have to do the stupid thing: poke the dragon with my stick.

"YOU FILTHY LITTLE PUDDLE OF PISS! I'VE KILLED PEOPLE!" the villain's shrill screaming was anything but convincing to my ears. "I'VE KILLED _HUNDREDS_ OF BRATS LIKE YOU FOR SPORT!"

We continued to walk away. I had to grab Mineta by the shoulder to get him moving because the smaller boy looked ready to puke his lunch out from hearing the degrading language of the murderous bastard. It sickened me to listen to the words, too, but I had to keep my head on my shoulders and be strong. I pretended to not hear the villain's words while catching the eyes of the others, gesturing for them to remain calm because I had a plan.

Ashido, Satō, Shōji, and Iida gave a subtle nod. Their bodies tensed just in case they needed to rush in.

" _Don't fucking ignore me_!"

Quickly pivoting with my arm twisted in a corkscrew, my fist flew towards the charging villain who's arms became liquid. Instead of aiming for his head or torso, I struck his leg that was still solid enough for me to attack. The villain shouted in both surprise and agony, hands immediately falling down to clutch his injured limb.

Too busy feeling the pain, the villain missed Satō when the bigger boy came down on him with a meaty fist to his head, effectively knocking him out.

"How'd you even hurt him when we couldn't?" Shōji wondered.

"He didn't have his entire body turn into liquid." I explained to the masked teen. "He had to keep his guard up when his used his quirk because he wouldn't be able to protect all his sides if we knew, it's why he made a convincing act that he was untouchable."

"That's why you pissed him off, so he could lower his guard." Satō concluded.

"Yeah, but how did you know he couldn't liquefy his entire body?" Ashido questioned me.

"I could hear people really good, so I listened to the guy's pulse and lungs, so that's when I noticed that he would liquefy himself while the rest of his body was still tangible enough for me to hear it functioning."

While the others were impressed, I noticed Shōji growing suddenly quiet. I remembered that beside me and Jirō, he was the third kid to have sensory-like abilities.

"Hey man, you were just trying to survive, you couldn't have known with all the crazy shit that's been happening all around us."

"But I should've known." Shōji glared at the villain.

"I always knew it was bad..." Ashido muttered as she kicked the dirt beneath her boots. "And I thought I could take it because people like All Might make it look so easy—"

I frowned at her. "Nothing is either what it seems or ever true. The media you watch is always hyping shit up to get the audience interested; this work is ugly, bloody, and dangerous as fuck! What'd you think was gonna happen? You think just because you put on a costume you can suddenly take on the world?"

They all fell silent from that.

"This whole thing," I motioned a hand around us. "It's more than your comic books, your favorite hero brand cereals, and your action figures. This is the real world and the real world wants to _eat_ you alive."

Ashido and Mineta looked shame-faced for reasons I didn't have time to wonder about.

"Let's go," I ordered. "Me and Iida here are gonna find the others, but you guys need to go find Yaoyorozu and cover her back."

"Yaoyorozu?"

"Yes," Iida jumped in. "She's already begun the first part of calling the school for aid, but we need to help her for when the villains try to stop her."

"So that was her! We'll go on over there while you guys look for the rest of the class!" Satō checked his pockets and I saw a few candies hiding inside them. "I hope I have enough sugar to keep me strong, I'm almost down with my sugar cubes and I only got a few Lifesaver candy bars on me."

"We only need to cover the deputy's back, right? That's all we need to do so she can signal the teachers for help and we're saved?" Mineta's teary gaze fell on me.

"The second she gives them the signal, run for cover and guard each other's back. The teachers will come running for sure." I reassured the midget.

"Then you can totally count on us to protect her, Sen-chan!" Ashido gave us a thumbs up and a determined smile.

I blinked at the butchering of my family name.

Shōji looked more than prepared to go against another horde of villains while Mineta tried all his might to keep his soul from escaping out of the corner of his mouth. Iida and I gave them a nod, and I hoped they could reach the tall girl in time to provide the back up she needed to alert the school.

Iida turned towards the Mountain Zone. "So, shall we—"

He was cut off mid-sentence when the mountain top exploded with glaciers of ice, the area looking more like a cold mountain peak than a rescue training ground; a gust of cold wind ruffled our clothes and hair while the smell of mint assaulted my nose.

Holy shit, I thought as I took in the over-the-top display of power, Todoroki could have murdered me ten times over had the training session in All Might's class been taken in an open battle arena with free space and no one to stand between me and him. Finally shaking myself out of the awe I felt, I turned to Iida to break the ice (no pun intended).

"... I think Todoroki's got it handled." I patted karate boy on the shoulder. "We should go."

"Hey, Sengoku." Shōji spoke up. "In the fire zone, I saw flashes of light and heard a few explosions there, too. I think Bakugō might've landed there."

I absorbed the information and slowly nodded. "Then I guess we can skip straight to the Flood Zone."

"What? Why?" Iida gave me a surprised look. "Is this about your personal issues? This really isn't the time to be holding a grudge, Sengoku!"

"That's not it, you freaking robot." I give Iida a stink eye for even suggesting I would leave somebody to die just because I was feeling petty. "I'm saying the guy can handle himself just fine. It's practically the equivalence of unleashing a monster on the unsuspecting victims, so let Bakugō have his fun toying with the villains."

 _'Toying with people's lives is considered a fun pastime for that guy?!'_ the students gaped at me with wide eyes.

"You guys hurry up and go to the forest area between the Mountain and Conflagration Zones, that's where Yaoyorozu is." I inform the teens while pushing Mineta to join their group before turning towards the class rep.

"Be careful!" Iida added then took off down the steep hill. "Let's go, Sengoku! To the Flood Zone!"

...

Momo had barely managed to duck her head out of the way of an incoming tentacle that aimed with the intent to lop her head clean off her shoulders. She could feel the strong gust of air the attack created, and she felt a chill go down her spine when several strands of her ponytail brushed against the long limb.

True to everyone's predictions after she fired the first cannonball, villains began to swarm around the area. She, Sero, and Ojiro did their best to fend them off as she prepared the emergency red smoke bombs. Even with the ambush strategies and battle tactics she and Ojiro came up with together, it was like fighting against a flow that continued to pour down no matter how many times they tried to clog it up. Momo was reminded of the Greek hero who took on a monster that grew multiple heads every time the champion chopped it off with a swing of his sword.

 _'Cut off one head,'_ she grunted as she slammed her steel staff against another enemy's cranium before she had to withdraw when another tried to attack her from the side. _'Two more shall takes it place.'_

"Dammit, they just won't quit!" Sero panted as he rubbed at his cylinder-shaped elbows. Momo worried that the dark-haired boy would soon run out of his tape, leaving him defenseless.

Ojiro was covered in bruises and scratches, but his tail suffered the most attacks. It was bleeding and there was a deep gash from where a villain had used his claws in an attempt to severe the extra appendage before Momo jumped in to break the man's hands. The blond boy's once immaculate attire was littered with dirt, several scorch marks from taking on a fire-wielding quirk user, blood splatters from when his tail whipped around wildly after the claw man, and the sweat that started to break out from being driven to the brink of exhaustion.

They all were getting tired fighting off these villains, and Momo was seriously beginning to doubt if she could send the second volley. It didn't help that they were being pushed back as the enemies even tried to force their way through or around them to destroy the cannon.

"I don't know how long we can take them on, Yaoyorozu." Ojiro wheezed as he kept his eyes trained on the trees where he suspected another attack was coming from given how he spotted several branches being disturbed. "But you need to hurry up in aiming for that hole to release the smoke bomb!"

"I'm trying!" Momo exclaimed as she raised her staff when she saw movement in the corner of her vision, forcing her closer to the cannon in case they tried to hit it. "But it takes time to calculate the range, longitude, the works! I'll end up getting the mountain side if I become too hasty, and I can't waste anymore of my quirk on creating more ammunition!"

" _Shit_!" Sero hissed.

"We gotta try," Ojiro said as he raised his arms and wounded tail again. "We don't have any other choice but to try."

 _'Or otherwise we'll all just die.'_ Momo finished.

"Go for it Yaoyorozu," Sero said. "We'll watch your back!"

Oh God, she thought as she quickly dropped her fighting stance and pulled up the binoculars to quickly begin her calculations. They had moved to a different location from the last one, only buying a few minutes of their time before the villains finally caught up to them just as she had finished pumping the last smoke bomb inside the barrel. She flinched at the sound of people rushing towards her exposed back, but carried on with hope that Ojiro and Sero really would not let single one of those murderers get her while she was in a vulnerable position.

The sound of something sharp embedding into flesh made her gnash her teeth, nails biting the palm of her hands when she heard her classmates in pain but still fighting back to protect her.

 _'Please, please, please work!'_ she thought frantically as she finally positioned the cannon's aim through the mountain's gap towards the hole she created earlier.

She pulled the chord and didn't bother to cover her ears.

 ** _KA-BOOOOM!_**

The trees rustled violently, even startling a few villains that had been hidden within the foliage. It went sailing, flying, and shooting towards the hole with nothing to stand in it's way. Hope started to rise in her chest.

They were going to be okay!

Nobody was going to die today!

The heroes were going to—!

Something black spilled out, distorting the air as it breached into existence, and she watched as the black void opened its maw and swallowed the smoke bomb whole.

For a moment, she forgot how to breath.

For a moment, she could not comprehend what she saw.

For a moment, she felt absolutely nothing.

And then that moment passed, and everything started to crash all around her.

The shock and helplessness hammered in how much of a failure she felt when witnessing the warp villain easily plucking the smoke bomb out of the air like an inspect only to squish it between their two giant fingertips.

Oh God... they really were going to die.

How could she hope to save everyone now?

Engrossed at her inner turmoil, she couldn't react in time when the tentacle from earlier slithered past the weak defenses of the tired duo, wrapping around the frozen girl's waist. Momo startled, arms and midsection squeezed in a painful grip as she was lifted off the floor by the tentacle-armed villain who was booming with laughter. He looked like a mix of a man, an elephant, and a squid. He was the biggest adversary that they were pitted up against due to his super strength and endurable body no matter how many hits Ojiro landed on the brute.

"Yao—!" the blond yelled out, but was cut off when a villain finally got the best of him and tackled him to the ground. He struggled to get them off but they continued to attack him repeatedly, blows to his head stunning him until Ojiro's hands were held down.

Sero was no better, his arms red and trembling from excessive use of his quirk. It wasn't long that he joined Ojiro on the ground, his helmet knocked away and somebody grabbing a fist full of his hair to keep his throat exposed as a sharp nail brushed against his vulnerable neck.

"After all that trouble, Kurogiri could've handled it himself." Momo heard the elephant-squid rumble angrily before his bulbous eyes turned to her, squinting with glee as his hold on her tightened that she wheezed at her breath being forced out of her. "Whatever. At least I get to have some _fun_."

From the way he was eyeing her and how his tentacle started to drift close to the apex of her thighs, Momo felt another rush of horror.

"No!" she squirmed while kicking her legs uselessly.

"You sick bastards...!" Sero snarled angrily but the villain holding him silenced him when their sharp fingers started to dig dangerously into his throat.

"Oi, you fat bastard, you'll split her in half," chortled one of the other villains. "At least let _us_ have a go at her first."

"Finders keepers."

" _Don't touch me_!" Momo snapped, squirming more violently. "Don't you touch me, you filthy—!"

Another tentacle, smaller, shot forward and slapped her face hard enough that she was almost certain she broke it from how quickly her head snapped to the side. She felt the iron and copper gathering in her mouth from when her teeth bit into her inner cheeks.

"This is what you get for dressing like a slut, you stupid bitch." the giant sneered at her. "You were practically asking for it!"

His tentacles then started to pull at the collar of her costume, threatening to spill out her breasts while the other closed in on her lower regions—

"NOBODY GETS TO SEE THOSE BOOBS BUT _MEEEE_ ~!"

Everyone's eyes snapped up to see a midget boy falling from the trees above who began to pluck the spheres from his head and throw them at the elephant-squid. Momo couldn't help but gawk at Mineta who's main target was the giant scum. Before the other villains could react, they were splashed with something that made them screech and cry out in pain as their skin and clothes burned. Sero and Ojiro's captors were then kicked away by the appearance of Ashido who dashed through the foliage to deliver a jump kick to the two enemies holding both boys down.

"LET HER GO, YOU PEDO-MONSTER!" Ashido angrily demanded as she threw a splash of acid on the tentacle keeping Momo suspended in mid-air.

" _FUCK_!" the elephant-squid cried as he yanked his limb back, leaving Momo to crash back to the ground.

"DIE, DIE, DIE, _DIE_ ~!" Mineta screamed as he continued to throw balls at the giant's tentacles even as he bled like a leaky faucet. "MY EYES ONLY, SO GO GET GRILLED LIKE A GOOD LITTLE SQUID!"

The tall girl couldn't help but stare in awe. Was this really happening?

"Shōji, Satō!" Mineta shouted. "ROLL THIS BITCH UP SO I CAN _SMOKE HIM_!"

To her amazement, both Satō and Shōji ran into the fray, both of the bigger boys latching onto a flailing tentacle covered in Mineta's pop off balls before beginning to run in circles around the villain. The giant tried to yank back his limbs, but two of the strongest kids in their class were not deterred, still running with all their might at Mineta's command. With the limbs stuck to his body, the giant was unable to retaliate.

"Nighty night, you creep!" Ashido hissed at the giant.

Shōji and Satō did not hesitate to beat the elephant-squid villain into a bloody pulp.

Momo startled to feel hands on her shoulders, and she found Sero kneeling beside her with his hands up to show that he was not her enemy. Ashido was the next to approach her, her face both angry at the scene she came upon and worried about Momo's well-being.

"Yaomomo, you okay?" Ashido asked her.

"I..." she shuddered at the thought of what almost transpired. "I feel sick."

Past Sero and Ashido, Satō gave the giant another great kick to the already disfigured face. Mineta spat on it for good measure.

"But... most of all, I'm glad you're all here."

The pinkette broke out in a familiar smile, forgetting for just a brief moment that there was no danger.

"Me too." Shōji said.

"Yeah, Sengoku said you guys might've needed an extra hand." Satō chimed in.

"Sengoku...?" Ojiro perked up. "He sent you guys?"

"Yep!" Ashido grinned at them. "We promised Sen-chan and Iida we'd protect you while they went searching for our other classmates. Those guys are probably going to send more of our classmates here to back you up, Yaomomo."

"... He did that? Really?" Momo stared at the pinkette.

"He's an ass, but him and the class rep are going around trying to find as many people as they can."

Wow.

A small smile blossomed on her split lips.

That jerk was running around and beating up villains to save their classmates and here she was, breaking down because she lost one of her smoke bombs. She should have expected a few setbacks on her plan, of course the warp villain would notice what was going on and would immediately try to stop any of her attempts to call for help, so she really needed to rethink her strategy on how to get around the warping enemy.

That aforementioned ass was counting on her to save them, too.

She couldn't falter just because there was a villain with a stupid quirk that could redirect her smoke bombs.

With the help of Sero and Ashido, Momo got back to her feet while wiping some of the dirt off her face (there was more parts of herself she wanted to scrub clean until her skin was pink, but that would have to wait) before turning her eyes to the rest. They all were battered, bruised, bloody, and dirty from the constant fighting, but they appeared to be just as determined to finish this once and for all.

"Satō, Shōji, I'm going to need your help in creating a clearing in this area, but I also need you to keep an ear and eye out for any incoming villains."

"Gotcha!" the two bigger males nodded, moving towards a group of trees to get their task started.

"Ashido, I also need you to use your acid to help weaken the foundation of the trees I wanted removed so the two can have an easier time knocking them out of the way."

"Yes ma'am!" the pinkette saluted her cheekily.

"Ojiro and Mineta, I need you to set up traps."

"On it!" Ojiro and Mineta eagerly acquiesced.

Momo handed the binoculars to Sero who took them, albeit reluctantly.

"I got a job for you Sero. Do you think you can do it?"

The boy huffed as he wiped the blood away from his neck. "Don't count me out yet, I still got some fight in me left."

And so began their second attempt to call for reinforcements from the school.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Iida nearly tripped over his feet in shock of the gruesome sight.

Somewhere near the center of the lake, blood red started to spread across the man-made lake. The bespectacled boy covered his mouth in shock, his skin paling at who's blood it once belonged to—until I grabbed him by the shoulder to get his attention.

"That's not blood." I said. "It's the smoke bomb."

"Oh, thank goodness..." the other boy exhaled in relief.

"Actually, not good." I turned to where the hole was, seeing that it was still clear of any smoke. "I heard Yaoyorozu's cannon go off."

"It has to be the warp villain." Iida scowled. "Yaoyorozu won't be able to send a signal if that bastard is only going to redirect it elsewhere."

" _Fuck_."

"We need to confront him in order to give Yaoyorozu the chance she needs to call for help."

"Yeah," I agreed as I returned my gaze at the lake where I spotted villains surrounding a yacht. "For now, let's handle these shitheads. I can smell Uraraka on that ship with Thirteen and Kōda."

"Are they injured?"

I took a whiff of the air.

"I smell blood. Thirteen is drowning in it."

We hurried across the edge of the lake to where it was closest to the yacht. I spotted Kōda's block-shaped head poking out even as he was ducked down, covered in scars of his own. Iida and I backed up a few spaced behind us to get a good running start while I grabbed his shoulder, and then we took off in a rush before I summoned One for All to leap towards the boat. That's when the villains noticed us as we soared over them.

Something shot out of the water towards, but it missed us. I stretched my hand to grab the rail of the boat and pulled us both forward. Iida was pulled closely to my side so that I could move my body to cushion our landing.

" _Oof_!"

There was twin yelps of surprise, and I winced at the high pitch volume. I really needed to work on my landing.

"S-Sengoku-kun? Iida-kun?"

I looked up and nearly recoiled in shock.

Leaning against the outside of the yacht's steering cabin, Thirteen looked as though they had been mauled by a school of man-eating sharks. Their helmet was cracked, their once immaculate white marshmallow costume was ripped to shreds while covered in heavy splashes of blood that Uraraka was trying to keep from flowing out so excessively. Kōda tried his best to keep Thirteen conscious by dressing their wounds, but I knew from several lessons mom taught me on first aid that Thirteen needed to get to a hospital as soon as possible.

" _Jesus Christ_ ," I gasped while crawling over to the rescue hero. "They took chunks of meat out of your legs."

"That bastard sent us falling in the middle of the lake." Thirteen wheezed out. "My body was sinking and I couldn't move fast enough to... to..."

"He's losing blood." I take the bandages from Kōda's hands. "Fuck, Yaoyorozu needs to hurry up and call for back up!"

"That was... s-smart." Thirteen hoarsely stuttered. "You're... all s-so smart. You all will b-be... fine he...roes."

"Please sensei, don't speak!" Iida hushed the hero as he gathered more bandages from the aid kit Kōda found. "Save your breath."

Wrapping the bandages as carefully as I could, I wiped at my face because my eyes were starting to get glassy. Oh God, why didn't I try hard enough to force everyone out? Why did I waste my time arguing with that dumbass Aizawa? Why couldn't I have knocked him out while his back was turned? I could have corralled everyone out of the building before the attack happened!

No point in crying over spilled milk, but goddammit, somebody was dying!

I wiped at my face again.

 _'Shit, don't cry! Don't fucking cry!'_

Something soft touched my trembling hands.

Uraraka gave me a look that said she was more worried about me than what was happening all around us.

She was trying to give me some sense of comfort despite the bloody scratch marks on her face and arms, her costume slightly torn in places where the villains waiting below had attacked her before she finally managed to get herself and the others out of the water thanks to her quirk.

"It's okay," Thirteen croaked weakly as their fingers brushed against my arm. "I-it's okay, Sengoku..."

 _A boy with green hair and childish freckled grinned despite the blood and bruises he sported, treating them more like badges he had earned from every battle he had undergone instead of proof of the world rejecting him; a man with hair like sunshine, who had half his organs torn out of him and blood dripping out of the corner of his mouth, laughed like nothing in his day could go wrong._

 _A blur of vivacious jade and electric blue met tangerines, the two tones equally sharing their unbending will to beat the odds thrown against them._

 _Two people, with their own experiences and stories, both of them beaten down, would somehow give me the most brilliant smiles they could muster as if to reassure me that everything was alright._

Why did it have to be so difficult for people who had to go comfort others when they themselves were the ones who needed to be looked after the most? I barely had a scratch on me and these two idiots were...!

Blood dripped down the doe-eyed girl's rosy cheeks, and I couldn't stop myself from reaching out to brush my thumb against the skin of her cheek. I couldn't stop looking at the scars she got from the villains who were crying out for our deaths. I couldn't stop myself from curling my lips as I listened to Thirteen's raspy breathing as they tried to stay conscious. I couldn't stop the ugly thing building up inside me as it rattled furiously from its shackles.

I pulled away from Uraraka and Thirteen.

"Make everyone weightless," I told Uraraka then turned to the class rep. "Iida, get them out of here. They need to go somewhere safe and I need to get to the others."

"Wait, what are you going to do?" the bespectacled boy shot to his feet and watched me curiously as I made my way to the forefront of the boat.

"I'm gonna go for a swim."

With that said, I dove inside the water. Using One for All to make the kicks in my legs stronger so I could get a little deeper, I twisted around to face the villains who then began to swarm me. I eyed them but waited patiently until I saw Iida's shadow taking off while carrying away the others to get them far away from the area while also looking for a safe place to hide them.

The few villains who watched Iida's group go tried to go after him, but my One for All powered punches in the water created a current which sent the pursuing divers deeper inside the lake. They started to circle around me like sharks preparing for a feast, and I pushed my arms so that I could sink deeper and deeper.

They all gave me a look that resembled taunting laughter from all around, all of divers probably thinking along the lines that I was a suicidal teenager or some idiot doing a noble deed in sacrificing myself to protect my comrades.

Couldn't be further from the truth.

Like a signal going off, they all darted forward in tandem to rip me apart. Harpoons, sharp teeth, and dangerous quirks coming down on me like a combo button smashing attack in a video game.

 _'Detroit...'_ my body sparked to life again. _' **SMASH**!'_

...

There was too many of them.

Shōta was starting to get tired from the dodging, weaving, waving of his capture weapon, and keeping track of his enemy's movements.

Not only that, his eyes were starting to the suffer from overuse of his quirk. It got shorter and shorter, and it was only a matter of time before the villains figured it out and decided to hit him altogether from all sides. So far, he had been dealing with only the foot soldiers as he had yet to see the guy with the hand fetish and his disturbingly silent companion make a move.

But that wasn't the worst part.

These bastards went after the students.

Yes, several of them had powerful quirks with only a handful bothering to train in order to better control what little techniques they knew, but they were still a bunch of kids who were out of their league against the real danger these villains presented. Shōta's first encounter with a villain has been done under adult supervision, and even then that was still dangerous because something would always go wrong.

 _One second the idiot was smiling jokingly as he offered a hand for Shōta to take, the next there was a dagger sticking out of his neck._

Just like now.

Thirteen was suppose to get the children out, lead them to safety, but all he saw was a black fog engulfing his students and co-worker. For the first few minutes, Shōta's mind screamed at him to forget the fight and find the bastard who took his students and Thirteen. The pale-haired hand guy even made a remark about his lackey's getting "experience points" or whatever ridiculous youth slang the idiot was spouting—and that's when he noticed what was happening all around the USJ facility.

The kids were splintered off, all of them alone and forced to defend themselves as their lives literally depended on it.

 _"I-I don't wanna die. I do' wanna die!"_

He had to hurry.

He had to finish this fight quickly and save them—only to startle when an explosion ripped a hole through the dome. It wasn't like that angry student shoved inside his classroom, it was much bigger than that.

"Kurogiri, what the hell just happened?" the pale-haired man demanded with a low voice as his fingers began to scrape the sides of his neck like he had a terrible rash.

The black mist that had gone after the students formed a somewhat humanoid form, their yellow eyes looking towards the distance as they took in the hole. Shōta recognized that handiwork to belong to Yaoyorozu Momo, the girl who created the cannon back when he was first testing out their abilities. The young girl was most likely trying to signal the school, bring in the reinforcements they all desperately needed.

 _"It's okay! It's okay, they're coming! I swear, they're almost here! Just hold on—keep your eyes open!"  
_

 _"Sh-Shōta."_

"They're going to give us away, Shigaraki."

The pale-haired man—Shigaraki—let out an aggravated exhale.

"Send a group to kill whoever is making all that racket."

"Oh no you don't!"

Shōta tried to run at the pair, they being the main ones who obviously orchestrated this entire attack, but he was accosted by the grunts who made it difficult to get a feet closer towards the duo.

And then he was back to fighting, dodging attacks, jumping over the ones he couldn't counter with his cloth or strength alone, and trying to stay alive so he could help his students. Another explosion sounded off, but nothing more. He somehow managed to look beyond the many bodies blocking his view and path that the warp villain known as Kurogiri had blocked Yaoyorozu's signal.

 _'Dammit!'_ the underground cursed.

He had to finish this and save his students! No matter how well they were doing to call for back up, they needed to focus on staying alive! Fucking hell, why did that moron have to pick today of all days to skip out on class?

 _"LET ME GO! LET ME GO, YOU ASSHOLE! I CAN SAVE HER! I CAN STILL SAVE HER!"_

 _"Young man..."_

 _He screamed as he kicked, scratched at the large hands holding him, and promised vengeance if the older man didn't release him. She was still twitching, her fingers still reaching out for the hand that wasn't there to help know that someone was with her, and then this bastard...! This absolute bastard who was always showing up in places with a stupid smile on his face, had the goddamn nerve to come over and pry him away from trying to save someone's life!_

 _"DIE! YOU CAN GO DIE! FUCKING DIE, YOU BASTARD!"_

 _He couldn't breath. His throat was clogged up, his voice was strained from screaming so much, his body sore and hurt everywhere, and he had her blood painted on his pale hands._

 ** _VooOOOOSSHHHhh!_**

The ground rumbled and everyone paused as they focused on the water from the Flood Zone erupting like an active volcano. The white tidal wave rose so high that it surpassed the height of the waterslide erected near the edge of the lake. The water, once it fell back down, splashed out of the edges of the lake and the underground watched as the water rose to his knees before gradually thinning down to only a massive puddle spread across the central plaza.

All around their feet, dozens of villains in diving gear lied unconscious.

"Hey! _HEY_!" one grunt shook a diver's shoulders. "What the hell happened back there?! Who did that?!"

A garbled groan was all the man got for a reply.

"The hell was that?"

"You think All Might's here?"

"Idiot, that asshole would've come for us first!"

 _With a single sweep of his leg, the boy on the observation screen destroyed the spinal column of the Zero Pointer. Bolts, gears, wires, anything remotely resembling innards belonging to a giant robot, it all came bursting out from the explosion the boy's raw power exuded._

... That idiot.

Shigaraki stared at the distance and Shōta internally cussed out at the man for wearing something over his face because it made reading the man much more harder. So far, all he seemed to do was stand back and give commentary, using nothing but gamer slang when talking about slaughtering the children with his "Nōmu". Kurogiri was also looking into the distance, eyes becoming slits as if contemplating whether or not to go and investigate the area where his troublesome student was currently at.

The creature meanwhile didn't react to anything, not to the explosions, the slow decreasing numbers of their grunts as they fell under Shōta's hands, nor the degrading language Shigaraki referred to them.

The creature simply gave him bad vibes.

"Nōmu."

The black creature that had been standing quietly from the sidelines finally moved as if acknowledging the person calling out to him.

"There's no need," Kurogiri waved a foggy hand at his partner. "I'll go and—"

Several things happened in the span of ten seconds.

There was another cannon fire.

"When will these children learn—?" Kurogiri started to say, but cut himself off.

Because the cannon ball was heading towards their direction. Shōta watched with stunned eyes as the explosive closed in on their position. Kurogiri's shapeless body fluxed for a split second then began to spread as if he was about to engulf it like he had the previous one.

"Nice try, you brat!"

Before it got close enough for the villain to take it, it exploded (in the distance, he heard another explosion going off at the same time) and there was nothing but blinding white. The villains all around were taken by surprise, and Shōta was spared from the same fate due to his goggles. Taking opportunity to attack while they were distracted, he threw himself back in and viciously knocked over every body he could get his hands on.

Once the brightness vanished, everyone was greeted with the sight of deep red plumes of smoke filtering out of the dome's hole.

"Damn," Kurogiri cursed. "The whole school will be notified and they'll be sending an entire squad of Pro heroes."

The darkness turned to his pale-haired partner.

"We need to leave, Shigaraki."

For the first time in quite awhile, Shōta allowed himself to grin.

 _'Way to go, Yaoyorozu.'_

"Nōmu."

Shigaraki's rasping voice snapped the underground hero back to the present.

Shōta stilled.

 _'Where did that big guy go?'_

"Break that smile off his face. It's annoying."

When he whirled around, a giant hand was already closing around Shōta's face.

 _ **snap!**_

"Kurogiri," the pale-haired man turned his gaze towards his partner, not at all bothered by the sounds of screaming and bones snapping. "Try not to mess up again when I give you orders."

"Don't worry," the dark entity assured. "I'll deal with it myself."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Holy shit! Oh my God! _OH MY GOD_!" Ashido began to jump excitedly as she pointed at the red smoke flowing freely into the sky.

Iida had arrived with Uraraka, Kōda, and a heavily injured Thirteen floating behind them. Momo immediately called for Uraraka's assistance in lessening the weight of a miniature cannon she created for Sero (originally, he was going to have to roll it towards the edge of the forest, but then along came Uraraka's anti-gravity quirk). The creation of the item took a lot of energy out of her, and Satō kindly offered her his bar of Lifesavers once he learned she needed nourishment to replenish the fat cells she needed in order to use her quirk.

One she made sure to help position Sero's cannon towards the villains at the plaza center with flash grenades (mindful of Aizawa-sensei who was still fighting off the hordes by himself), Momo had to time the release of the cannons perfectly so that it would confuse the enemies. To her utter delight and everyone else's relief, the villains had only focused on the cannon ball aimed towards them.

The warp villain reacted, preparing to send it elsewhere.

Something she had been expected the wretch to do.

The warp villain got a face full of flash grenades, leaving the whole group temporarily blinded and keeping the transporting enemy from tracking the smoke bomb. Everyone had watched the smoke bomb fly off into the distance, Uraraka clasping her hands together over her chest to pray.

And with hope hanging over their chests where their rapid hearts lied, all of them felt a rush of euphoria when the smoke bomb bursted open and released wave after wave of red in the air to escape through the dome's hole.

Momo felt her legs collapse as she stared into the distance.

"You did it, Yaoyorozu!" Iida exclaimed as grinned back at her. "Well done!"

"We," she corrected him. "We all did it."

Something heavy lifted off her shoulders and she smiled as her classmates cheered all around her, praising and crying with relief as they succeeded in sending the signal for the school. In a few minutes, teachers would be assembled and hurrying towards the USJ, prepared to return the favor tenfold for the fear and pain everyone had undergone.

"We did it! We did it!" Mineta laughed as danced around with fists raised in the air. "We did—"

The small boy suddenly froze, all the cheer and happiness in his eyes growing cold with terror as he saw something most horrific coming from her direction.

And then Momo was violently yanked backwards, the others disappearing from her vision until she was thrown against hard concrete. Not caring about the pain of her elbows and knees scraping against the hard floor, she rolled to her feet to face the enemy.

What she saw instead nearly made her fall flat on her back.

Aizawa-sensei, on the floor with a large creature sitting on his back, his arms twisted in unnatural angles. She saw a piece of broken bone protruding out of where his elbow should have been.

"So you're the NPC that's been causing trouble for us, huh?" a voice spoke from behind her.

Knowing despite the consequences of acting irrationally in the middle of a battlefield, Momo still allowed desperation and fury to wash over that her body moved like it had a mind of its own before the rest of her brain caught up to the action.

Her fist flew, aiming for the source of the voice.

And her fist landed squarely on the man with the severed hand obscuring his face.

The appendage fell off while the man stumbled backwards, his messy pale blue hair falling like a curtain over his forehead and eyes; Momo could make out the rawness of his skin, from his dry and scarred lips to the cracked skin surrounding his eyes.

" _Father_..."

The tall girl went stock still when the man's insidious red gaze fell on her form.

"Nōmu."

Something large overshadowed her, and Momo's head snapped up to find the monster who had been breaking her teacher like a toothpick swinging it's fist down at her.

She felt everything _shatter_.

Someone had screamed her name. Was it the teacher? She couldn't quite tell.

Her body flew away, landing in a painful and messy heap, limbs and torso going limp and dead weight from a single attack of the black creature. There was a moment where she felt nothing but numbness, but the pain eventually caught up and her pain receptors soared to new heights she'd never known. It all came down on her like a ton of bricks on top of her ribs, chest cavity, arms, and shoulders. Every inhale felt like a knife threatening to dig into her lungs, pinching and bleeding it like someone was torturing her with their scalpels.

Momo couldn't move.

All she could do was watch with what little vision she had, or listen to the screams of her classmates rushing towards the center plaza.

Stay back, she wanted to yell at them but couldn't even choke out a whimper from her throat, they were going to get themselves killed trying to fight that monster.

"Leave her alone!" Aizawa-sensei screamed from his place, far away from where she was with the monster approaching her. "Stop it! You've proved your point! You can come in and scare the shit out of us—they're just _KIDS_!"

"Heroes are always preaching about bringing peace to society with justice and mercy, but really... What you are is a cult. A foundation created by liars and hypocrites sitting on their lofty clouds while those below them struggle to get by with only meager resources." Aizawa watched as the lunatic carefully picked up the severed hand Momo knocked off, placing it back over his face. "The same goes for anyone who blindly follows your sick cause."

Momo saw the "Nōmu" lift up it's giant foot.

She closed her eyes.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

 **. Toshinori .**

* * *

"—you really shouldn't be using these kinds of teaching methods on high school students, All Might." Principal Nedzu continued with his long-winded lecture as he pointed out multiple flaws in Toshinori's class syllabus he had created when he found the time to do so outside of work. "This is when they've entered university level. While I'm sure few will quickly catch on, most of them won't understand that is mostly you giving them lectures while expecting them to take notes on the subject when it's later brought up for review."

The blond sheepishly ruffled the back of his wild hair.

Teaching wasn't his strongest suit (as was pointed out several times by the faculty and his successor). Anything he knew about dealing with classes was mostly from his memories back when he had been attending UCLA. Sitting in the lecture halls as the professor had people pull out their journals, tablets, or laptops to take down notes that would pop in the tests, quizzes, and thesis papers. He also recalled the time when a guy sitting next to him who looked as though he hadn't slept for _days_ poured an energy drink in his coffee while quietly commenting that he was going to die.

Those four years in university had been quite the experience.

"I apologize about that, prinicpal." Toshinori sighed as he stared down at his tea. "I thought I could making it work in this school like it did for me back when I was in college. I'll go over the syllabus and correct it, sir."

The mammal was already giving him a look that said he was skeptical of the blond's commitment which made the Pro hero want to wince. Nedzu was right that Toshinori needed to start over in creating the lessons since the style of education from two countries wouldn't mesh well.

When Toshinori first started to read through the notes given to him by his co-workers, he tested out several teaching methods on his successor during the training period over the course of the remaining months leading up to the entrance exams. He would give the boy several assignments, had him write an essay or two about subjects that caught his attention, and gave a few lectures so that when the questions came, Sengoku-kun's answers would be mostly correct.

"I really thought it could work for the students here," the Pro hero rubbed his sharp chin. "I didn't get any complaints when I used my teaching method on the kid."

"You practiced on your protégé?"

"He was the only kid I knew who became aware of the truth of my dilemma, so I thought it'd be prudent of me to use him for scenarios in the classroom," the blond shrugged at the mammal then perked up. "You should see some of his essays, principal. They're real eye-openers."

"Color me intrigued." Nedzu laughed.

The sliding door suddenly slammed open, surprising both the occupants of the private room. Toshinori found Midnight standing there, out of breath and looking as though she had been in a running marathon all around the school campus (and in her high heels).

"Principal, All Might, I don't know if it's a mistake or a real life emergency, but—!"

The raven-haired woman rushed inside the room, quickly striding past the bewildered duo as her hands reached for the blinds to harshly pull them apart, revealing to them what lied beyond the windows of the teacher's lounge.

Toshinori shot to his feet, eyes glued on the giant red plumes of smoke escaping from a hole on the dome-shaped roof of the USJ building.

"My phone can't reach Aizawa or Thirteen, sir." Midnight reported. "The main offices can't even connect with the facility. They're cut off from us."

Something like a knife plunged into the blond's chest. His hand trailed over to the phone in his pocket, pulling it out and opening the message app to the last message he received from his successor.

 _ **Where r u?! Pls come to class!**_

His eyes fell back on the red smoke rising ominously in the sky while a deep sense of dread crept up on his bony shoulders. Here he was, sitting on his ass while the children and teachers were experiencing a disaster right under everyone's noses!

"Please notify half the faculty and tell them to assemble at the school entrance! We must get to the children, Aizawa-san, and Thirteen as quickly as possible!" Nedzu ordered the raven-haired mistress before turning towards his companion.

Who dashed out of the room before the principal could say anything to him (probably order him to stay behind because of his time limit).

Toshinori ripped across the hallways like a mad man, ignoring the gathering students pressed against the windows to watch the red smoke in the distance. Their words and murmurs muddled together, but they all repeated the same fear: were they under attack? The blond gritted his teeth in frustration when he couldn't find a private enough area for him to transform. There was too many kids out in the halls, all of them coming out of their classrooms in curiosity when the teachers that had been summoned by the principal ordered their respective classes to head to the auditorium until their return.

 _'Oh God, please.'_ Toshinori pleaded as he desperately searched for an empty space. _'Please be alright! Please be alive!'_

He had been a Pro hero long enough to know enough that situations of these kind rarely ended with a happy note. The best case scenarios these days was that you'd hope that you only lost a few people.

Yett Toshinori prayed anyway, pleaded and bargained whatever was willing to lend their ear that he would trade anything to see all his students and his fellow teachers alive.

"I'm coming," he said to no one as he ran down the hallway that seemed to go on forever and ever as if trying to make its path a lot harder than it should be. "Please wait for me a little longer."

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Tsuyu hopped down the street on all fours as fast as she could manage, creating a distance between herself and the villains chasing after her. She was fortunate that she had the advantage of ending up inside the Storm Zone. It wasn't exactly still water but the rain was good for her to blend in and cautiously take out enemies one-by-one while her companions stayed out of the way.

The downside, however, was that Jirō wouldn't be able to use her speakers that were attached to her boots as it would risk malfunction in the rain. She was going to have to talk to the Support Studio afterwards (if they survived, that is). Kaminari was another case of difficulty. Electricity and rain didn't combine well since that meant his own classmates would be injured if he tried to use his quirk against the enemies.

This left the two to keep hidden whilst Tsuyu led the enemies on a wild goose chase so the others could escape.

"Get back here, you little bitch!"

Several bullets flew by her, one almost brushing through the tail end of her long hair and another landing inches away from her webbed feet. The man had gun barrels for fingers, and she spotted several people behind him with firearms. The green-haired girl knew she had to quickly get out of the open space because now she was dealing with a group of people who were armed with lethal weapons that could put her out of commission.

Permanently.

So she leaped on the side of a nearby building, hurrying her way to the rooftop's edge to get away from the villains shooting at her. She barely swung her leg over in time to avoid a barrage of gunfire.

"Dammit! She's like a freaking cat!"

"I dunno, she reminds me more of a frog..."

"Not what I meant, you idiot!"

Taking opportunity to lose the group so she could regroup with Kaminari and Jirō who were probably waiting for her at the zone's entrance, she turned to head back to where she had come from when something seemed to move around in the downpour.

"Kero!" Tsuyu threw her head back in time to avoid getting slashed in the face by a chameleon-headed man.

"Don't think you're going anywhere, girl!"

Fighting was not her strongest point and the girl knew how outmatched she was against the other man who was grinning at her like a savage. His skin then tilted out of shape while splashing water in her face. She rapidly, trying to clear the liquid to keep track of the enemy who used the cover of the downpour to make himself even more difficult to find.

"You know I like to collect body parts of the people I've killed. I'm wondering which part I should take."

His voice seemed to come from all around her, and she was thankful her face gave nothing away. If you allowed a villain to reach you with words, you can be sure he was going to reach for your life afterwards.

"Your fingers? Nah, too big for my tastes. Maybe your nose, it looks cute enough for my keychain. Or maybe your eyes! I like those eyes of your eyes."

She searched the rooftops while making sure to keep her back near the ledge, but also had to be careful not to get to close or otherwise find a bullet in the back of her head. Tsuyu flinched when gunfire occurred again yet she paused when she heard no bullets hitting the ledge.

"Kero?" she almost looked over her shoulder, but then remembered she wasn't alone on the roof.

The green-haired girl couldn't focus on two enemies at once because looking back and forth between the two would lead to a life threatening mistake. Knowing that eventually the armed villains were going to somehow get her if she didn't move out of the area quickly enough, she didn't have time to wait for the chameleon guy to make the first move; Tsuyu needed to be the one to strike the enemy first.

With a sharp inhale, she spat out her tongue to do a quick sweep across the roof so it would hit the unseen enemy hiding away in the downpour.

Sure enough, her tongue slapped something and she quickly wrapped her tongue on what she had to guess was his leg. With a hard wrench, the rooftop splashed while a voice yelped in shock. With the enemy on his back, she tugged her tongue to whip the man across the rooftop until he collided with the rail bar, the metal quaking a bit before going still.

"Stupid little...!" the man growled as he turned to her with sharp teeth directed at her. "I'll—"

A gloved hand slipped through the rails and grabbed the chameleon villain by the top of his head then ripped him backwards while breaking a portion of the rail in the process. A bit stunned, she slowly crept forward and carefully peered over the edge.

Down below where the firing squad was, Tsuyu was surprised but more than anything pleased to find a familiar face.

"'Sup." Sengoku greeted her as he released a villain he had in a choke hold.

The girl supposed that explained why she didn't hear the bullets land on the ledge.

On the ground next to Sengoku's sneakers, the chameleon villain was lying on the ground with the guard rail on top of him. He was probably knocked unconscious by the rail's heavy weight to his body. Meanwhile, she eyed the rest of the villains who were all lying flat on the ground while nursing bloody arms, shoulders, and legs as if they had been the ones to get shot at. It assured Tsuyu that nobody was going to be picking up a gun for quite a while.

"C'mon you," the tall boy called up to her. "Let's get outta here!"

"Kero," the girl smiled at her classmate. "Call me Tsu."

...

After leaving the Flood Zone behind, I headed straight for the Storm Zone. Waiting outside the entrance in soaked attire was Jirō and Kaminari, both of them bickering back and forth what to do next as one was reluctant to enter and the other was reluctant to let the frog girl deal with a whole group of villains alone. Jirō tensed at my approach, but relaxed once she saw that it was only me running towards them.

Kaminari didn't hesitate to explain what was going on: at first they worked together to take out few of the enemies at a time, but then that proved to be too much as Jirō's equipment died on her no thanks to the rain and Kaminari didn't want to risk hurting the girls because of his quirk. So Asui decided to be the bait and give the two of them a chance to escape. The short-haired girl was opposed to the idea, but she had no choice considering she was only going to put herself in more danger if she didn't remove herself from the battlefield.

Once the blond finished his little summary, I darted straight into the storm. It was a good thing I was already soaking wet from diving into the lake to punch the assholes who nearly killed Thirteen, Uraraka, and Kōda straight out of the USJ. They indeed were sent flying, just not out of the dome's roof like I envisioned they would in my mind.

It was a reckless move, and my anger made my control on the power go higher than I usually could handle it which left my right arm throbbing in pain from the painful muscle cramps.

The downpour made it difficult for me to track anyone which left me with no other choice than to run around the city in hopes I would catch a glimpse of a girl wearing a green suit. However, it didn't take me too long to find her since all I had to do was follow the gun shots that echoed every now and then around the small city block through the heavy rainfall.

The villains were all in the middle trying to break down doors and crash through windows in the surrounding buildings, and a peak at the building in front of me where there was signs of bullets, I knew they were trying to corner the frog girl.

"Now that's just messed up," I said, announcing my presence to the group. "Ganging up on one little high school girl."

"Who the fu—?"

I slammed an elbow into the speaker's nose, feeling it break until I pulled back and slammed the same elbow into their gut to make them lose their breath. They went down on their knees and I elbowed their head one last time and didn't stick around to see them fall.

"Shoot 'im dead!" a guy with gun barrels for fingertips whipped his hands up to aim at me.

"Gomu Gomu no...!"

They all fired at me. I felt the bullets rip through my clothes but my skin absorb the impact of every bullet fired upon me. They didn't cease until a few second later when they noticed I was still standing there with funny-looking holes digging into my skin.

"What the hell is he doing...?"

"... Oh shit! SHIT!" a villain panicked once he realized what was going to happen next.

" _KEVLAR_!"

The bullets I absorbed went bouncing back with the same ferocity it had when fired upon. People tried to duck for cover, but while several of them made it behind some shielded places, the others weren't so lucky. Sprays of blood flew as the lead dug into the muscles of thighs, arms, shoulders, and the occasional glute. They all went instantly down with cries, clutching onto their wounded areas where blood leaked onto the wet floor.

Wordlessly, I turned to face the remaining villains who stared back at me with panic written plainly in their eyes.

Ten minutes later, Asui and I exited the Storm Zone where Jirō ran up to the girl with a relieved look on her face. Kaminari just let out a big sigh, a hand to his chest to calm his nervous heart.

"Alright you guys, let's go meet up with—"

There was screaming.

Desperation and unadulterated terror ringing alongside the sound like nails to the chalkboard. It made my teeth grind together, my shoulders rise, and ears hurt as I listened to the god awful noise.

I looked towards the source, and I found it coming from the center plaza.

What I saw chilled me to the bone.

The humongous creature I saw stepping out of the darkness back when everyone was still whole and together while chaos had erupted, threw Yaoyorozu (what was she doing there?) away like she was a rag doll. Her body flew until it landed harshly on the ground, and I swore I could hear her bones breaking from the collision—if the monster hadn't broken it first from when it slammed it's fist down on her like a giant sledgehammer.

I could hear more people screaming. They were all crying out her name, clawing desperately as if their words alone could snatch the poor girl up and bring her to the safety of their arms.

And then the thing was standing over her.

It lifted it's foot, a shadow falling over her still form. I could smell nitroglycerin and ice, Todoroki and Bakugō running forward frantically to reach her, blowing and freezing anyone who dared get in their path. But they were still too _slow_.

She was going to die.

She was going to have her life ended in a single moment, forever destroying what future she had in becoming a hero.

Ǐ̽̆̊̽̊̿͏̹͙̯̥̹t̜ͫ͊̔̓̀'̄ͯ͟ͅs̰̯̮̰̪̒̀ ̶̯͍̼̬́̀̆͋̒̌͆ő̦͇͕͆̑k̛ͣͣ̑̈́a̞͔͐ͤ̈́̓y͈̦͉̬̤̖̕

As the foot was coming down on Yaoyorozu's head—I ripped through the air like a lightning bolt across the dark sky; one moment everything was still, and the next half second, thunder crashed.

 _ **BooOOOooOOMMM!**_

I was no longer standing at the entrance of the Storm Zone with the frog girl, the punk chick, and the blond idiot.

In a split second, I had flown across the facility and savagely ripped the monster away from Momo and sent it crashing towards the Landslide Zone. The fist I used was engulfed in violent orange static that went wilder than all its previous dances from the rush.

"Who the hell is this little asshole?" a raspy voice came to me. "Knocking around my Nōmu..."

Not even wanting to stick around, I moved again. The speed from darting across the plaza kicked up some more dust. When I stopped, I had both Yaoyorozu and Aizawa in my arms while hundreds of feet away from the fountain center where the villains were standing. It took them a few seconds to find me again, and by then, the whole group of Class 1-A joined my side as they immediately attended to Yaoyorozu and Aizawa.

"Put her down, Sengoku." Thirteen ordered from their spot on Shōji's back. "You'll only injure her more than she already is. Todoroki, if you can please make a spinal board with your ice. Kaminari, Mineta, and Jirō, take off your jackets and capes to cover the board..."

My eyes flashed towards the pale-looking individual covered in severed hands; his red orbs were trained on me.

" _Ohhh_..." the man cocked his head like a deranged puppy. "You seeing this, Kurogiri? Is that who I think it is?"

The black void's narrowed his illuminated eyes.

"Gunnarsen whelp."

" _Hah_..." the man huffed then patted his thigh as if he was beckoning a pet dog. "Hey, Nōmu, quit playing dead."

In the distance, the creature I had sent flying flew out of the hole I buried it in with my punch and cracked the ground upon landing near the fountain. Everyone tensed for a fight; Bakugō, Todoroki, Kirishima, Tokoyami, Iida, and I stood at the front, acting like barriers between the enemies and our own. The guys were prepared to unleash unholy hell from frost to fire and absolute darkness on the two head honchos and their pet monster. But even with their combined efforts, I knew they couldn't hope to win against the hulking beast that stared at us with dead fish-like eyes.

A single attack powered by One for All couldn't put a dent on it.

I glanced down at my arms where they were still engulfed with bright orange static lighting up my veins and tickling my eyes. It was a sensation that was new to me, thrumming under my skin like billions of microscopic speakers at high volume causing my body to reverberate with power.

My punch didn't hurt it, but that was only from one hit. Maybe I had to keep hitting it until the monster was finally brought down.

But I had to be quick about it. As powerful as I felt, I was also getting bad vibes from this sensation. What happens after I used it all up? Something in my guts told me that painful muscle cramps were going to be cakewalk compared to whatever drawback this had in store for me.

Well, I thought as my gaze returned to the creature waiting to begin another round of knocking people around like toys, I had to make every second count until All Might and the rest of the U.A. teachers arrived.

"Let's have a little more fun, huh?" the pale man said. "Hey Eraserhead, wanna see how many rows of brats I can kill with my Nōmu in a blink of an ey—"

My shoulders slammed into the creature's waist and we both ripped through the air backwards until we crashed into the giant staircase. The concrete and debris fell all over us, but I continued to push the monster further and further back until it grabbed my shoulder and ripped me off of it. I stretched a hand out to for something while twisting my lower regions before wrapping my legs around the Nōmu's meaty arm.

Once secured, I untwisted myself which led to the beast being pulled along, swirling around like a high speed carousel as I sent us both flying again, but this time we both crashed through the roof of the Storm Zone.

The city was still raining, but I didn't let it bother me as I continued to spin the monster until released him so he would crash into a couple of buildings. The buildings gave away, their foundations crumbling. I still couldn't give it time to recover as I swung my hand inside the wreckage and grabbed at something that resembled flesh. Yanking it back up in the air, I could see a couple of rebars protruding from the black creature's chest and arms, but it didn't seem bothered by them.

The metal bars slipped out of him like its innards were pushing the foreign items out of it's host's body.

"Well, shit." I muttered to myself.

The Nōmu had a hyper regenerative quirk.

I slammed it back down, on the street where the wind and rain went wild. Joining it on the ground level, I covered the distance between us easily and started to strike it with moves I learned from the underground duo. The monster swung around at random with wild abandon, but while its moves were fast, I was able to dodge and twist myself while landing every blow to its chest that made windows shatter and the wind to whip more wildly with rain stinging against my skin like needles.

We moved like a hurricane, the swing of our arms creating strong enough wind currents that they ripped off billboards, tore down buildings with our powerful punches, and flattened the earth with our stomping feet. Ducking under another swipe while twirling around to get the momentum I needed with the incoming swing I had close to my side, I lunged my arm into the creature's chest.

It's body seemed to ripple from the blows before going still, as if absorbing the impact, kind of like how my own body did whenever I was attacked. However, the similarities ended there because rather than fully absorbing, the monster's quick cellular regeneration would fix the damage since it's body couldn't be molded or be stretched to take on heavy physical impacts. The monster felt solid beneath my knuckles and legs, and it couldn't be flattened or expanded upon, therefore... a flaw? Like most people around the world, no matter how powerful a quirk, there was always a limit to their powers.

This thing was no exception to the rule.

Even if I was hitting it, I needed to slow it down just a bit that I could land a few good hits while trying to pinpoint it's weak spots before delivering devastating blows to keep it down until the Pro heroes arrived. It's super healing quirk was a bitch to deal with, but I only had to be faster to keep the Nōmu from recovering from my attacks. Problem was, where in the hell could I find a place in USJ to slow down it's movements long enough for me to keep it down?

Licking my lips and swallowing the raindrops to wet my throat, I was hit with an idea.

Two massive arms coming down on me, I raise my own to absorb the impact on my forearms that wobbled until redirecting it to throw the Nōmu's beefy limbs off me. Being wide open, I bolted forward and crashed into it again, sending us both tearing out of the Storm Zone. I watched as we rapidly closed in on the area until we both ended up being engulfed in a large body of water.

Back inside the Flood Zone.

Pushing the Nōmu backwards with a mighty shove of my feet, it went back until it slammed into the bottom of the massive lake. Like I hoped, it's movement was a bit slower than it was in the air due to the massive size and weight it carried, and being that I was smaller and a bit lighter, I was going to take advantage and strike the monster.

 _'Gomu Gomu no GATLING!'_

Under water smog grew from the breaking of the tiles and concrete in the water as my barrage of flying fists throttled the bottom floor. I had to be quick about it because I wouldn't be able to hold my breath for long.

Unable to see anything through the murky dust I created with my attack, I was caught off guard when the Nōmu darted out of the cloud and headed straight towards me. With my arms out of the way, I gagged from inhaling the water into my lungs when the massive arm swung forward to crush itself against my open chest. Billions of bubbles fluttered all around me, and I felt the fluctuating turbulence in the water from the monster's attack which produced a powerful shockwave.

This time, _I_ was the one sent flying.

Rocketing out of the water with a bit explosive splash, I crashed through another roof with the monster following shorting afterwards. I was startled from the change of temperature, from cold wet to a burning hellscape. It had to be the Conflagration Zone Iida told me about earlier. Buildings, cars, posts, streets, all of it burning or in the process of catching on fire.

My back slammed into a car and I rolled off it to avoid the flickering flames on the hood of the vehicle. I rolled down on the hard asphalt road until I used the momentum to shoot back to my feet. Shaking the water from my face and hair, I faced my enemy once more.

The Nōmu stomped on the car I landed on to cushion it's landing, flattening it completely. Spitting out the last bits of water from my mouth, I had to play another round of ducking and dodging from the giant's attacks as it began it's assault with a barrage of what looked to be my signature Gatling technique. If things hadn't been so dire, I would felt a bit flattered that the Nōmu was trying to mimic me.

Not long, I saw another opening and slammed it's knees with a kick swing of my legs, destroying the stupid skull pads decorated on it's pants. As it fell, I jumped back to widen the gap between us and quickly scanned the blazing surroundings to see if there was something I could use to pin it down again since the Flood Zone didn't work out for me. Seeing the monster about to charge again with another wild attack, I looked at the fire and remembered the fight between me and Bakugō.

Acting quickly, I stuck both thumbs in my mouth and inflated them until I thought my palms were large enough; whipping the giant hands out, I gave a thunderous clap just as the Nōmu started to rush forward. From my position between the burning buildings, the powerful draft of wind sent fire spilling out from their original spots to smother the monster within its fiery embrace.

That's when it started to scream.

It was like multiple voices screaming all at once, high and low pitches crying out together in this shared agony.

I shook my head. Even so, that monster came close to killing Yaoyorozu and was about to show no mercy to a group of children, so there was no room for mercy.

I clapped my hands together again, sending another powerful wave of wind to fan the flames towards the monster. The Nōmu began to retreat, the heavy limbs waving while trying desperately to claw the element as if attacking it would take away the pain. It was an ugly thing to watch a body being eaten away, the dark skin turning a crispy brown with the flames devouring the meat, but at least the creature was finally succumbing to _something_ that even it's regenerative powers was having trouble healing.

Recalling a meme my drunken dorm mate had shown me: when all else fails, kill it with fire.

Unfortunately, the thing decided to abandon ship and run for the hills.

"Oh no you fucking don't!" I yelled out before giving chase.

Still soaking wet from the lake, I body slammed against the charred beast and the both of us ended up out in the open once again. So high in the air, another idea came to me and I quickly maneuvered both myself and the flailing Nōmu so that it was facing head first towards the ground while I wrapped my arms and legs around its back to keep the giant in position. It was a sort of suplex technique I remembered from several anime's, particularly that from Naruto, and now I was going to use it to bury this thing into the earth.

The both of us began to quickly descend.

"Eat the dust, _motherfucker_!" I bellowed.

Our impact caused more dust to fly.

Yet I didn't feel the earth rumble beneath me like I expected it to.

Looking down, I saw a familiar darkness surrounding me and the Nōmu.

"Hey now," I spotted the pale-haired man scratching at his neck. "Don't go playing with your food."

What?

" _SENGOKU_!" "LOOK OU—!"

A dozen knives became embedded over the left side of my shoulder.

It took me a few seconds to register that the Nōmu's head that disappeared in the void created by the warp villain had stuck it's head behind my back and chomped it's jagged teeth on my shoulder.

And that's when I finally registered the pain.

I screamed.

My vocal chords strained as the volume went higher and higher as I felt it's teeth digging deeper and harder into the meat of my shoulder. My hands clawed uselessly at it's half destroyed face, it's eyes, it's brain, but it continued to bite down in absolute vengeance for all the pain and trouble I caused it.

And then I was viciously pulled inside the darkness, only to rise out in the open because the Nōmu was righting itself to it's full height. It flipped my body around, tossing and turning me like a chew toy that I was lucky I was made of rubber, otherwise the sharp motions would have definitely broken my neck. From the far side of the fountain center, I could hear the others screaming and shrieking, their shrill voices grating my ears as they were helpless to watch one of their own classmates about to be ripped apart by a man-eating monster.

I had to get it off me!

I had to get it off me!

 _"A little advice for you, kid," Noctis said as Cyan wrapped his arms around her neck while the pink-haired woman grabbed his biceps. "If you find yourself trapped by somebody's who a hold of you, whatever you do—don't panic. Losing your head means losing your life. Keep it cool and you'll be fine. You just gotta remember this..."_

 _She pulled her legs up and swung them high in the air, about to demonstrate a technique that she knew would eventually help if I was ever in a bind. Cyan inhaled sharply, body tense for what was about to happen._

 _Like the strong current of an ocean wave, Noctis' legs rolled downwards while pushing her upper torso forward. Because he had a tight grip on her, it made Cyan follow her until he was flipped over then slammed hard on his back. Temporarily stunned, his arms were loose and Noctis easily climbed back to her feet. Once she was composed, she threw me a wink._

 _"Use your weight."_

" _Arugh_!" I ceased clawing the monster's face and wrapped my arms behind it's neck while twisting my lower regions like a corkscrew. "Fuck you...!"

With a great heave, I jerked us both forward until my feet managed to land on the ground and then my upper torso started to spin rapidly to unwind the tight coil I created. The thing biting me tried to hold on, but the momentum was throwing the rest of it's weight off my smaller frame until it finally couldn't hold on any longer. I cried out as it's teeth ripped away from my shoulder, taking cloth, skin, and a small chunk of bloody meat as it was sent flying elsewhere in the plaza.

I collapsed on the ground and held my arm, too scared to touch the mess that was my shoulder.

A tremor of the earth signaled the return of the monster.

That thing needed to go down, I thought as I wheezed and moved to stand, I had to—

The spark died.

 _'Oh fuck no...!'_

Once again, I flopped back to the ground as though the strings keeping me upright had cut me loose.

"Oh dear," rasped the villain as he watched me from afar. "What's wrong? Your ultimate move finally past the limit of its time?"

And then suddenly, the skin of my arms began to rip, tearing my muscles open as blood seeped out besides my heavily wounded shoulder. I cried out from the torture, feeling it spread down to my legs. What the hell was happening to me?! I hissed as I felt a scar opening underneath my eye and near the corner of my mouth where it threatened to create a glasglow smile.

Stomping footsteps came closer to me, and I glanced up to see the Nōmu coming back. It's jaws dripped heavily of my blood, a nasty-looking tongue licking up every speck like it was a tasty treat it enjoyed and thus wanted more.

I couldn't move, my body was a bloody mess, and I couldn't fight this thing off without getting tag-teamed by the villains.

Hopefully, I thought as I bowed my head, the teachers will come and save everyone.

" _Kuzan_!"

My eyes snapped open.

Bakugō, the goddamn idiot, was charging forward with explosions coming from the palm of his hands.

"YOU FUCKING _MORON_!"

Did that little shit want to die?!

"Ge' ba... ack...!" I managed to choke out through the pain.

The Nōmu was getting closer.

Bakugō, the stupid little shit, was closing in on me with his palm wide open for a blast ready to explode in the monster's face.

"These brats keep coming and coming." I heard the villain sigh as if he was bored with the display of desperation in our side. "Whatever, more experience points for me. _Nōmu_."

Before the villain could finish his order, I could see the whole thing playing out in my mind's eye. The thing would come close and just as Bakugō was about to unload hell on the monster, it would easily cave the idiot blond's head in as if he was a whack-a-mole game. Even if Bakugō's quirk could harm the Nōmu thanks to the fire element, the damn thing could still move faster than most normal people can keep up with, the thing that you literally wouldn't be able to see coming until it was too late. The monster was almost closing in, mouth widening to the words the pale-haired villain was announcing.

Words the thing responded to alone.

Words that had power.

Power to control the Nōmu.

Control with words.

Words that needed to be silenced.

... This was going to _hurt_.

"Kill that bra—"

With what little power and strength I had left, begging and pleading for this one last drop of adrenaline to wash over me so I could hopefully put an end to this terror for everyone who wanted this whole thing to stop, a flash of orange danced across my arm as I swung my fist forward with one target in mind. One shot was all I needed.

" _PISTOL_!"

My bloody arm screamed for respite from the abuse I was putting it through, but it darted forward none the less.

And it slammed home into the pale-haired man's chest, putting an end to his babbling as I felt his sternum breaking under my knuckles. From somewhere, the mist villain cried out for "Shigaraki", but the damage was already done.

From the corner of my eye, the monster was reaching for me again with it's jaws wide open. From the reflection of the teeth, I saw Bakugō's quirk coming to life as he threw himself forward in an attempt to blast the monster away from me.

"... _ **sssSSSmmMMMaaAAAssSSShhhHHH**_!"

A body fell on top of me while another much larger one flew over our heads and slammed into the Nōmu. Exhausted, my chin rested on the ground as I watched with tired eyes the figure in white push back the creature until they sent it flying.

Like an avenging archangel of the Old Testament, All Might glared down at his foe with his teeth bared out to convey just how angry he was. In the distance, the entrance to the USJ exploded and I could hear somebody announcing the arrival of the teachers who were immediately launching themselves into the offensive.

The whole thing dissolved into absolute mayhem, moreso because the teachers weren't holding back against any of the remaining villains; each and every murderous scum paid the price with their noses, jaws, arms, legs, ribs, and whatever physical damages the heroes were allowed to get away with (at least within legal bounds).

With a bellowing roar expressing his fury, All Might attacked.

It was the last thing I saw before darkness pulled the curtains over my vision.


	19. Chapter II: The Irony

**A/N:** Okay, I want to apologize for the long wait because I had been too busy getting distracted with real life and family drama and work, and it didn't help that I'm slowly losing my engines in fueling the love of all things BN/MHA related. I dunno how long this train will last (probably until the 4th season comes around) but I'll keep at it until I finally lose it and make some hiatus announcement because there's other stuff in life that are grabbing my attention. You know how it goes people, but like I said, I'll try to keep things interesting here.

As you may have noticed, this little incident of losing the nineteenth chapter happened because dearest author had clicked the wrong thing when it came to updating edited chapters and since she didn't have the original documents of chapter nineteen saved, it resulted in dearest author having to rewrite the whole damn thing over again from scratch. Yes, I am sorry for that, and I especially apologize to the people who have been waiting as patiently as they could.

A big thank you to _**Skeletickles**_. I had no idea this happened until they pointed it out for me. I appreciate this so much that I want to do a prompt for you (whatever of your choosing, so as long as it's within reason).

I always try to look at these situations on a brighter side: it gives you the chance to do it over, so you could improve it into something better than the original. And to be honest, I wanted to improve on the nineteenth chapter because there was some missing elements, but I just wanted to get the chapter out for everyone to enjoy. Anyway, here's a new spin of the original!

Sorry for all you guys who preferred my original, I hope this gives you the same impact as the original, but I won't be surprised if you say it doesn't. Just know that your dearest author tried her very best to deliver, thank you and proceed onwards!

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

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 **Chapter II: Part IX**

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* * *

It was peaceful. Peaceful like the days you lied in bed smothered inside warm blankets whilst being vaguely aware of the faint music humming from the speakers of your phone or computer alongside the soft trickling of rainfall occurring outside your window. Another lazy day, another time where staying in bed was much more appealing than being awake in a world that moved too fast, too furious, too much. Rest was a medicine much needed, much kinder to the body because while our minds went overactive, it still needed to recognize when to shut down and just take it easy.

But eventually, every machine needed to restart, every person had to prepare themselves for the rush, the brightness, and the overwhelming. Because eventually, everyone had to get up and go.

Body full of lethargy and mind barely sparking to life, it was difficult to get one going. Yet something insisted on getting up; a tiny voice calling out over and over again like a mantra repeating until it was all one could think about: wake up, wake up, wake up.

Which was why I began to recede from the cocoons of unconsciousness. The peaceful world disintegrated while the bright looming awareness took over, scorching and unforgiving like the great, big circle that loomed overhead in the sky.

Slowly, almost shyly, my eyes fluttered open.

The world looked young. It was if I stepped backwards and entered another place and time when things were calmer and less destructive, as if breathing was no longer a requirement when there was nothing and no one out there to forcefully take it from you. I was half-awake, looking at the picture in front of me with only dreams and wishes that could never come true.

This time and place was long gone. The only left to do was look at it and admire from afar from the mind's eye.

The sky looked so nice. How long ago was it that I sat back and looked up towards the heavenly blue? It seemed like hundreds of years ago, really. The color started light until the higher you looked, the darker the shade it became until you could no longer see what was beyond.

Fluffy clouds slowly rolled past. Some big, some small, some fluffy, and some wispy. So many of them, I thought. Another memory from what felt like ages, another time and place when I thought nothing could ever touch me so long as I kept my head down and tried to live as peacefully as I could.

"Doesn't that one look like a car?"

Surprised, I automatically went searching for the shape hidden somewhere inside the herd of rolling white. It took almost a minute until I finally found the aforementioned car cruising closer towards a horseshoe-shaped cloud.

"Yeah." I agreed. "It does."

"And that one looks like a foot."

Years of isolation sometimes led to people forgetting certain things. I remembered being able to talk to people without fear, felt bold enough to laugh and joke around, had partaken in activities that made my heart race with excitement, and wasn't afraid to find comfort when I needed it most from people who were understanding and forgiving. But now, after so many years, it was like I was observing everything from outside the looking glass. The memories were there for me to look, but the feelings that usually accompanied them became absent from my heart.

"I see it."

"Oh! Oh look! There's a cat paw over there!"

As Sengoku Kuzan, I had no idea how to be a normal person. Being an outcast with only handful of people that gradually grew smaller over the years did that, but the first few years were what really made an impact after leaving Norway. It would have been easier to move up a few grades, but my lack of understanding Japanese was what made it difficult to try, and it resulted in me being ridiculed as the stupid kid in class. I could not count how many times teachers would pull me aside, admonishing me in a condescending manner for not catching on quickly enough like the rest of the kids, for making so many "obvious" mistakes, for not being good enough for their standards. It was humiliating, I thought, and disgusting. Men and women taking advantage of a docile child and fucking them over without a shred of regret, turning the little one into something no longer recognizable to his own family.

"There goes a bunny rabbit."

" _Little bunny Foo Foo_ ~ _hoppin' through the forest_ ~"

" _Scoopin' up the field mice~ And boppin' them on the head~_ "

The more it went on like that, the more I started to forget simple things people took for granted without notice. I forgot to talk to people without my words coming out forced and unsure, how to play with others when there was only rejection waiting at the tip of their tongues, how to feel excited for a group activity when it usually meant they would use their numbers to overwhelm me... how to open my heart to strangers when all they did was damage it.

There really was no gain in looking at both memories from before and further back, I thought, because all it ever did was remind me what I couldn't have anymore.

And yet.

"Hey, there's your pirate ship!"

"Shut up, man..."

And yet something persisted in making me look backwards, eyes straining over my shoulders to find what was always there waiting for me. Days have long since passed, years painfully missed, but memories remained steadfast and loyal no matter how many times I dismissed them.

A sigh.

"... I missed this."

Like an addiction I couldn't resist, I looked back.

"Izu—"

Instead of finding a familiar face, a stranger was leaning over me with their glowing green hands hovering inches away from my side. The world that was previously younger and innocently blue bled like an open wound of glaring red and purple tainting the sky. From a dream to a nightmare. Startled by their appearance, I quickly tried to scramble away from them and their glowing hands only to cry out in pain when something hot flared up from my shoulder. The person reacted just as quickly, her voice cutting through the flurry of panic like a hot knife to thrashing water.

"Please remained, Sengoku Kuzan!" she pulled out something and I stilled at the familiar-looking badge offered to me. She was just a medic. "Do you remember where you are? Can you tell me what day it is, Sengoku?"

Unfortunately, the words remained trapped in my throat like I had stuffed too much cotton in my mouth to let anything out.

The medic didn't seem to mind my lack of response. She returned the badge to her front shirt and proceeded to fish out a scrawny flashlight from the medical bag I hadn't noticed sitting next to her. Now that I was actually looking around some more, I found myself sitting on a makeshift bed of blankets laid out on a patch of grass. We were sitting right outside of a large dome building.

"Look over here, please."

Feeling latex fingers under my chin, I was forced to stare into a glaring light. I winced and scrunched my eyes closed, but the medic didn't ask for more time which meant she got what she needed from me. For the next minute, she checked over me while asking questions I couldn't answer. Background noise finally got my attention and I twisted my head enough to look over to see what was going on.

Police, more medics, heroes, all of them swarming the entrance of the dome building with a long line of bound men and women.

"Lie down," the medic instructed as she gently pushed me back on the ground. "You're suffering from blood loss. Recovery Girl did her best to treat you, but she can't replenish all the blood you lost in the attack."

The medic, the dome, the people crowding the area like an angry swarm of busy bees moving back and fro.

My eyes fell down to my shoulder where it burned like fire and salt. The fabric I was wearing was partially snipped away to make room for the care the medic had to make, but even with gauze and heavy bandages, the wound continued to bleed angrily.

 _A hulking figure towered over me, jaws wide open and lunging forward to take bite from_ _my flesh—_

" _Yaoyorozu_!" I shouted, my voice destroyed and hoarse to my own ears. The outburst took the jostled the medic, but she was more shocked that I was trying to scramble back up again despite the condition I was in. "Where is she?! Where's Yaoyorozu?! Where's Thirteen?!"

"Sengoku, stay down!" the medic ordered me, this time more harshly as she grabbed my good shoulder.

"Th-there was a girl! She was hurt so bad, I," I rambled, my mind unable to focus long enough to get the proper words out. "It broke her. The monsters just, but the teacher, they tried to e-eat them!"

"Your classmate and teacher are on the way to the hospital for ICU," the medic said. "Now please remain calm and don't move, Sengoku. Any more stress will aggravate your injuries and we're still waiting for another ambulance to come and take you, too."

The word "classmate" caught my attention like a dog to a sharp whistle in the silent air. Another dawning realization inside my jumbled mind. Yaoyorozu and Thirteen weren't the only ones who faced the danger. Questions began to jump around inside my cranium, ricocheting with no signs of stopping. What happened to Class 1-A? What became of Iida and Uraraka?

What happened to Bakugō?

That last one felt like another cold splash of fountain water. Frantically, my eyes searched the area with new found energy bordering on manic. I could hear the medic chiding me some more, but I couldn't care less, too busy searching through the hustle and bustle to catch a hint of ash blond hair. What felt like time dragging itself lazily was really a few seconds until I finally locked the first familiar face inside the crowd.

Kaminari was sitting on a table, his feet a few inches off the ground. Next to him, the pinkette Ashido was leaning against the surface with her elbows. The both of them were sipping from mini water bottles, the tiny quake from their fingers showing just how shaken they were but how hard they tried to keep it all together. The pinkette looked as though she had been crying a lot due to the heavy bags under her eyes, but had since ran out of tears to shed.

The next to find was Ojiro. His tail, I noticed with a wince, looked as though it had been put inside a blender and then taken out back to be used as target practice. Two people were working to clean and stitch together the gruesome gashes. Nearby, Sero was watching Ojiro whilst his own arms were buried under towels around the area where his bulging elbows were.

Something inside let out a breath of relief when I finally found Bakugō. He was thankfully uninjured, too busy glaring at nothing as a policewoman asked him questions.

Looking around, the same could be said to all the others who were thankfully uninjured. Jirō and Asui shared their side of the story with one other policeman, Satō was spotted sitting quietly on the grass with heavy exhaustion rolling over his body while doing his best to describe events, and Mineta was babbling like a fanatic as he made wild gestures with his arms to illustrate what he went through alongside his group. Not far from the ambulances, Shōji and Kōda walked around to pass mini water bottles given to them by the medics, offering those who were still too shaken to move from their spots.

Todoroki was all by his lonesome self, as silent as the chilling air that surrounded him.

Looking over Tokoyami, Kirishima, and Aoyama's heads, I finally found Uraraka and Iida.

The two of them were facing a policeman together (some cat guy), both giving their own accounts to what happened. Uraraka looked as though she too had come out of crying, but she was a trooper and continued to do her best in providing information. Iida kept a hand on her shoulder as a show of encouragement and support while he dutifully said his piece while also filling in the blanks when the brunette needed to stop and breathe for a moment.

Their fear, no matter how much or how hard they tried to swallow it back, was as potent as their odor. From every motion, every gesture, every tear and flinch—I felt bile rise in the back of my throat. Tucking tail between my legs, I turned away from the scene and bit my lip to keep myself from breathing in their scent. It was bad enough to look and see, but it would be so much worse to smell and _taste_ it.

 _Mineta sobbing as he held onto my leg._

 _Ashido desperate as she swung wildly to chase away her enemies who were closing in on her._

 _Asui being hunted down like an animal for sport._

 _Thirteen struggling to stay awake as they bled out on the yacht's deck._

The whole thing was like a hurricane had blown through this portion of the campus. Everyone had come to the USJ excited for their first rescue training, only for their day to end with destruction and great tragedy. Despite evidently seeing their faces in front of me, I still couldn't shake the creeping dread and worry. My thoughts lingered still around the two absent figures.

I turned back to the medic who was fixing the blood packet I had disturbed in my mad scrambling.

"Are Yaoyorozu and Thirteen gonna be okay?"

The medic paused from her work, and she gave me an unreadable look which only made my gut twist like a snake coiling itself. There behind my eye lids and eyeballs, I could still recall with precise detail the damage done on Yaoyorozu and Thirteen when last I saw them. The girl dead weight in my hold and the hero struggling to speak with their words laced in pain.

Just as the woman opened her mouth to respond, someone from behind caused her to stop and glance back. Seeing a group of doctors gathering around, one of them waving at her to join them, she returned her attention and gave me a warning look.

"Don't move and just focus on recovering. I'll be right back."

She stood up from her position next to me, pausing minutely to wipe away the grass stains off her knees. With the medic sparing me another glance, she left my side to join the small assembly.

Why the hell was no one answering my goddamn questions? I gnashed my teeth together in frustration, glaring at the medic's retreating back as though I could scorch her spine with the power of my gaze alone. Did she think it wasn't important enough for me to know the conditions of my classmate and teacher? Did she think I was only asking stupid questions for the sake of being stupid?! Why was she keeping a tight lip about—?

 _"I'm sorry."_

The anger that had been bubbling dangerously beneath my skin disappeared as instantly as another dunk of icy water splashed itself all over my head, leaving me cold and empty like winter's last breath.

It happened sometimes, I thought in stupefied shock, doctors omitting information when treating patients. Be it a car crash, a disaster, innocent bystanders caught in the mix between two super powers, the hospitals would get patients that had come in pairs or more. The staff would try, they would work their butt off to save the lives of the people, but sometimes while one lives... the other died. The patients would ask, demand, to see the other person, ask if they were okay and the doctors would be left with the difficult task to guide the patient's attention away from the other. It was bad enough the person was badly injured, but a patient who went into shock or started to break down in the middle of an important procedure?

Best to lie to their face rather than risk losing them as well.

Did Recovery Girl even reach the two in time undo what's been done on them?

As much as I wanted to believe she could undo the damage with a simple peck on the cheek, the old lady couldn't fix _everything_. I had first hand experience on what exactly her quirk could do when it was used on a tired individual. Coming back from the battle simulation all burned and bloody, I was beyond tired and her quirk didn't waste time in sapping away my remaining strength until I was left unconscious for a few short hours. And that was where the issue lied: she couldn't treat Yaoyorozu and Thirteen without accidentally killing them.

Both my classmate and teacher were barely alive, so there was no way they could face any sort of treatment from Recovery Girl's quirk. The old woman was more likely to do more harm than prevent it.

In other words, they were beyond saving.

My head rolled back into the makeshift bed, wide eyes trained towards the darkening sky where the sun had long since died and the encroaching darkness was about to swallow everything whole. My heartbeat drummed faster with every passing second, my breath growing shorter with every intake, and the feeling of something threatening to burst past my lips soared higher the longer I waited for my throat to explode.

How pathetic was this? Months of enduring a training session from hell, hours spent pouring through books and studying my ass off to know the basic fundamentals of the hero industry, and gradually learning the ropes of what it meant to carry One for All—none of it did jack to help me in saving people's lives.

How fucking pathetic.

My jaw started to hurt from how tight I was clenching my teeth, scarred knuckles going white from how tightly folded my fists were, and the ache in my chest growing more as the situation started to sink in.

"—asn't being logical, that was being incredibly stupid! What the hell were you thinkin', Shōta?!"

"Please stop shouting. I could hear you just fine from right next to you."

"Oh this isn't shouting. You and everyone within a five mile radius would know when I'm shouting."

It wasn't hard to find the source of the irritating raucous. My eyes instantly zeroed in on the small group of Pro heroes gathered away from the crowded surrounding the building entrance where they were still lining up the villains inside the prison transport vehicles. Standing in the midst of the heroes was a certain man. A man who's unmarred features clashed against the tattered attire he wore. Not too long ago, this man had been nearly beaten to a bloody pulp with his arms mangled in twisted angles and his face littered with heavy gashes.

But there he stood, unscathed as though nothing had even touched him. Recovery Girl did a good job in fixing Aizawa up.

The ache in my chest, the stinging my eyes, the despair I felt—it vanished without a trace.

Something else took its place.

Wordlessly, I picked myself up from the makeshift bed of blankets while working quickly to remove the I.V. attached to my wrist. I didn't blink at the small stinging sensation nor did I even care about the wetness slowly growing around the skin of my arm which proceeded to slip downwards until it was dripping from the end of my fingertips. Every step was like a ripple of main echoing feedback to the rest of my body, and my body was screaming for mercy and respite while my vision danced from standing upright, but I ripped away those weaknesses and grinded them down until they scattered like dust.

One step after another, the gap between me and Aizawa closed ever so slowly. The end goal, the opposite side of the tunnel I was traveling through, the final destination I needed to reach for.

No one seemed to notice me as I made my way towards the group, not even the paramedics who stood not too far away. My approach went undisturbed until I was a few feet away, Recovery Girl being the first to notice me. The short woman's eyes seemed to bulge behind her plastic eye-shield when she took in the sight of my battered form.

"Sengoku!"

Her outburst jostled the other teachers from their discussion, finally noticing me. The flabbergasted doctor quickly shrugged the shock off her shoulders and became incredibly cross, her lips dropped to a deep frown.

"What are you doing up? We've barely managed to pump enough blood to stabilize you!" Recovery Girl grunted in exasperation as she pulled out a gauze pad from her white coat. "Never mind. Someone please grab him so he doesn't end up falling over from the dizziness..."

A white-haired man, donning a red and white suit, moved around the group to volunteer themselves as Recovery Girl's temporary assistant. The three others—Aizawa, Present Mic, and a lady wearing a dominatrix outfit—looked at me as though I was a creature who crawled out of his grave by his hands. Given how I felt, I probably looked the part. The ink-haired man's dark orbs briefly met my gaze before they quickly glanced elsewhere, like my bandaged shoulder.

"Is he okay?"

It was a simple question—yet their reactions made it seem as though I said something heavy. The most startled of them all was Aizawa, the guy was not expecting me to come up and ask him about the state of his well-being. The surprise everyone felt gradually turned calm, the tension in the air becoming more relaxed as though they've dodged an earth-ending asteroid. Still waiting for a reply, I gave the pale teacher a quick once over, checking his appearance for anything hidden away in the torn black attire he was still wearing to find any signs of damage he sustained from the villains he fought.

"No broken bones? No internal hemorrhaging?" I continued to inquire persistently.

I was still looking him over but my questions were mostly directed to the expert doctor, Recovery Girl. When neither of them made no move to reply, apparently too busy standing there dumbstruck and speechless by my uncharacteristic concern for the pale man, the scantily-clad woman released a small breathy laughter. Her perfectly manicured hand came to rest on the shoulder of the underground hero, giving the muscle a gentle squeeze while a fond look overcame her beautiful features. Clearly, the Pro heroine was closely associated with Aizawa.

"He may not look so hot right now, but our friend Eraser here can take a hit."

No open gashes or blooming bruises, an absence of heat flaring in agony from the top of his skin, no signs of hitching in the breath to suggest internal damage. The man was healed from his gruesome injuries given to him by the Nōmu monster. Out of the four who went down, I recalled, Aizawa was the one who suffered the least life-threatening injuries and was therefore the quickest to walk away from the fiasco with barely a scratch after seeing Recovery Girl.

That was all I needed to know.

" _Good_."

 _ **crack!**_

When hours went by with no signs of incoming attacks following the wake of destruction left behind by the villains (which was unlikely but nobody wanted to take any chances), things gradually began to cool down somewhat. Police worked diligently to surrounded the entire campus while the heroes quickly swept across the area to capture any remaining villains who thought could get away in the confusion. The attack on the children did no favors for the villains, incurring nothing but wrath by the elder heroes who took great pleasure in seeing their pain as they were forcefully led into the prison transport buses. It was therapeutic in a sense to beat the utter crap out of the many faces who took sadistic joy in snuffing out growing embers of the younger generation. Meanwhile, nurses and doctors took care to treat students with serious injuries while also relieving the kids of the tension they carried in their chests.

The kids did their best to give the police and heroes as much information as they could, describing and detailing their point of view before the stories finally connected to the center to conclude the entire event. Within a few short hours, the police, heroes, and medic teams gained back the sense of control they temporarily lost before reclaiming it with a sense of victory. They all counted their blessings where the day ended with villains captured and all the children accounted for.

Which was why no one expected to see a student attack his own teacher.

At first, no one could quite register what they were seeing, too busy watching the scene unfold like an audience witnessing something both jaw-dropping and eye-catching that they couldn't tear their eyes away from it. There I stood, body hunched forward while swinging my fist forward to painfully collide against the intended target—Aizawa. The brutal contact between fist and face resulted in an audible echo of bones breaking under pressure from the force of my punch. Later on, some people would go on to remark how they thought they might've seen the underground hero's eye nearly pop out of its socket.

All of this happened within a span of a few seconds, and no one could comprehend what just happened.

Until Aizawa slammed into the ground.

And just like that, the spell was broken and everyone _moved_.

From what could only be due to years of working together which turned into seamless team effort, the Pro heroes reacted by putting themselves between me and Aizawa. The woman in the dominatrix get-up didn't hesitate to shove me away from her friend whom I was standing over. Present Mic was already hauling Aizawa away by his arms, quickly dragging the man away to escape my punching range. I could hear several people shouting all at once, but my eyes were trained solely on the despicable man. One punch wasn't enough to let his actions sink in, no, he needed to bleed some more...

Before I could launch another attack, not at all bothered by the idea of hurting the idiot woman pointing her flimsy leather crop towards me in warning or the loud-mouthed bastard who was prepared to scream until my eardrums bled, something twisted around my torso before it trapped me in a solidified embrace. From the corner of my eye, I spotted the white-haired man in the red suit. His was aiming one arm towards me and I could spy the trail of red liquid which he was controlling into keeping me trapped.

The heavy tones of copper and iron surrounding the air told me what this crystallized material was: blood.

 _Like a marionette doll who's strings have been cut too soon, she fell in a broken heap on the floor._

Livid tangerine eyes blazed like scorching fire, once again falling on the frame of the man who escalated the mess. By the force of fury and determination, I began to drag myself to where Aizawa was. I wasn't finished with that asshole, not by a long shot. He had stood there, face drawn in a bored expression, while the rest of my classmates were barely keeping it together! From in front and behind, the dominatrix and white-haired man were yelling at me to cease, but like every noise filtering in through my ear, it went out the other end.

 _Their pulse got weaker as the minutes ticked by. Shock and frightened as the feeling was, you were more astonished that they were speaking at all._

"Sengoku, stand down!" the dominatrix shouted in warning, still aiming her ridiculous weapon at me. "This is your last warning!"

From behind the raven-haired woman, Aizawa finally managed to pick up his own head without the aid of his blond companion. Through the curtain of messy hair which did a fine job of obscuring most of his face, a single eye peeked through. When the obsidian orb caught my image, I made sure to deliver the most pernicious and menacing image I could muster. I wanted him to look at me and remember.

 _Iida was in pain. Constant usage of his quirk threatened to seriously damage his legs, but he didn't care. People needed his help and he wouldn't let some pain stop him._

 _Uraraka tethered me to the earth, keeping me down when my mind was moments away from ejecting me into space where no one could hear me scream._

 _Sat_ _ō was low on supply, unsure if he had enough to keep him going, yet it didn't stop him from agreeing to join up with Yaoyorozu in defending her while she hailed the school._

 _K_ _ōda felt stricken with intense fear, but that didn't stop him from helping his teacher who bled out. Despite the danger lurking below, he focused on looking after Thirteen._

More than that, I wanted Aizawa to look at my classmates and remember. I wanted him to remember how high the pitch of their screams went when they were terrified, to count the wounds, scrapes, and bruises they've gained when facing their own adversaries, to see the way their hands shook as they stared vacantly into the nothing, to find the tear tracks left behind when they could no longer cry—I wanted him to look at my classmates and see who was no longer standing with them when the tour of the USj facility started with twenty students and an extra teacher.

 _Her arms were spread open like she was welcoming an embrace, but you knew there was no warmth to be found. Flowers in ugly shades of purple, green and yellow blossomed all over her pale skin. She was like a fine china tea cup, and was just as fragile enough to break under crushing pressure. It's no wonder why you were immediately admonished to take your dirty hands off her._

I started to inhale more air into my lungs, inflating myself which would undo the white-haired hero's quirk. If the man really was using his own blood as a way to keep me locked down, he would either have to use more which would lead to him experiencing symptoms of blood loss (therefore losing his hold on me) or be forced to retreat to try something else (an opening which I would take to proceed bashing Aizawa's face in). The crystallized blood started to crack, the blood rippling quickly to fill in the fissures but I could tell the white-haired man was beginning to lose control. There was more yelling, more demands for me to cease... but none of it mattered.

Things like expulsion and lawsuit mattered little to me right now. The care I had to keep myself checked had gone out the window the moment I stepped up to Aizawa to warn him of the imminent danger we were moments away from facing. All that was left behind was my fists, my fury, and the man who should have known better than to abandon a bunch of scared kids. I didn't care where I would end up afterwards, what happened to me and my future, because right now I just wanted to fucking _break_ something.

I wanted to hurt somebody.

And that somebody was Aizawa.

" _SENGOKU_!" the lady screamed again, eyes wide as she quickly reached for the thin fabric covering her arms and chest. She was preparing to use her quirk on me, whatever it was, but I was almost there.

More footsteps, more people were starting to run towards us. Heroes? Cops? I couldn't tell.

Did it matter?

 _You couldn't help but look back and wonder..._

My mind felt like it was in another dimension, so far away from my own body. An astral experience where the body was there but the soul was elsewhere, not knowing at first yet vaguely aware it was happening. Blood started to drum my heart like a war song, ancient ghosts in my veins roaring angrily like a man pretending to be a bear madly dashing forward to deliver a killing blow. My mouth was moving, throat rattling like I was screaming, howling maybe, and I was raising a single arm which I've managed to pull free from the bondage so I could finally strike—

 _Did she die in your arms?_

Something caught my wrist before I could swing.

The horrified faces of the Pro heroes disappeared and I was left standing face-to-face with a broad chest. The fabric of the dress shirt was slightly torn, wrinkled, and dusty from whatever particles it caught in the air, but what got my attention the most was how hot their body temperature was. A sort of feverish-like sensation people got from standing in the middle of a desert or being too close to a heater.

Warmth seeped into my neck and below my left ear, and it took me awhile to realize that it was a giant hand resting against the surface of my skin to get my attention. The unmerciful winter that stormed violently inside me died down the moment the sun penetrated itself through the dark clouds, bringing back the light I lost when I succumbed myself into the dark tunnel where only madness and rage awaited.

All Might.

The big guy was kneeling right in front of me, electric blue eyes bright despite the shadows surrounding them. His mouth was moving, but the words and noise couldn't register my brain, but slowly it was coming back to me. The war drum slowed, the rushing red river quieted, and my blurred world started to expand as clarity settled back. With voice like thunder, I finally heard a voice say.

ȉ̘͂͛ͅt͚̻̬ͭ̉̿̋͒̔͜'̖̗̋͗ͨs̨̼̱͎̖͕̃ ̷̜͈̖̼͉ͯͪͤͭo̜̭̅͊ͭ̇ͯ͑̒k̼̤͍a͋ͭ̃y̧̙̬̮̹̘̎̐ͯͣ̒̈

"I'm here."

No buoyant declaration, no broadcasting to an audience that wasn't there, just a quiet yet powerful presence of a man who promised me with such fierceness to be there when everyone turned their backs. And like he said he would, All Might kept his promise like an oath he refused to break.

My mouth opened, but nothing came out.

I couldn't breathe.

Or more like, I _didn't_ want to breathe.

Breath in the scent was as equal as tasting something. The air was heavily potent with blood, sickness, and rampant fear all around, and I didn't want any of that clinging on the back of my tongue like a foul aftertaste refusing to fade no matter how much water I tried to drown it out with. My mouth clamped shut and I willed myself not to inhale, anything to keep death and terror from getting inside and poisoning my airways.

A large hand cupped the back of my head and pulled me forward until my face was buried between the space where All Might's neck and shoulder met. Immediately, my nostrils flared and I greedily took in his scent. His blood was like a hot broth consumed to instantly chase away the frost inside my bones, bringing me closer towards the warmth I craved for like a creature who's been without sunlight for so long. Every intake, every breath that filled my lungs, it was like believing for a moment that nothing could hurt me and someone was there to protect you from the nightmares wanting to swallow you whole.

Only the nightmare was real, and the truth of the situation was equally as appalling.

"Kuzan," large hands framed my face, pulling up so I could face the older man. "Talk to me, young man. What happened? What's wrong?"

Swallowing proved to be a difficult task. My mouth felt dry, the moisture absent, and I knew talking would only make my voice come out cracked and wrecked. But he had to know.

"Something w-was wrong. I knew. Everything felt so wrong, and I-I felt scared all of a sudden. I... I felt like we were being _hunted_."

Lambs to the slaughter. Innocent creatures shrieking at the top of their lungs as their immaculate fleeces absorbed the warm splattering of red. Targeted, pinned down, screaming, hacked to pieces. Over and over and over...

"I tried to get everyone out, I swear to God I did!" I exclaimed frantically to the older man, desperation piling up behind each and every word. "I-I wanted to run, but I...! They all would've been—! I didn't leave 'em!"

How terrifying would it have been for you to be the only person to see the danger no one could feel coming? The feeling was more than some vague memory of a spotty past life and too certain to be categorized as a gut instinct. All I could recognize was the heavy vibes of murder coating the entire facility while the rest of the kids continued on their day obliviously, ignorant of what lied in wait for them.

I was suddenly recalling an old Greek tale told within my old high school classroom, the story of a girl who was bestowed the powers of foresight by a god but was later cursed to foresee disasters which she could not prevent with her warnings. She would scream about her city falling to ruin in the hands of the enemy yet no one would believe her, not until the disaster had come and swept them all towards their demise. In that moment, right before disaster struck, I was Cassandra trying to warn her people of the coming of death.

And like her, I failed.

So shaken I was at the thought, I barely managed to hear All Might quietly ordering someone from behind us to release me. A second later, the blood prison trapping my upper torso dispersed and I was free. My hands automatically clung to the front of the blond's ruined dress shirt, brunching the fabric and dirtying it even more, but the Pro hero didn't either seem to notice or care about the state of his attire.

"I-I tried to tell them!" I managed to choke out. "I tried to tell—!"

All I could see was the underground hero leaping down towards the hordes of enemies below, disregarding the cries coming from behind him. If only he had stayed and listened, if only he had put aside his anger long enough to hear what I had to say to him...

The malevolent emotions resurfaced like they had been waiting to spring out once beckoned. I glowered viciously in the direction of the teacher who was still crowded by his company of goons. The dominatrix woman shifted until she could shield her colleague from my murderous gaze.

"He wouldn't listen! _HE WOULDN'T LISTEN_!" I screamed, my volume growing as I continued to throw the blame at the other man's feet. "I nearly had to watch my classmates get slaughtered in front of me because he wouldn't **_FUCKING LISTEN_**!"

Hands shot up to capture my arms when I tried to vault myself over All Might to attack the other teachers again, but as quick as the anger and fight inside me came, it vanished like an exhale of smoke. My body slumped in exhaustion, and the only thing keeping me on my own two feet was the blond man holding me up by the biceps. Thoughts continued to flood inside, reminding me how fleeting life could be for each and every person no matter who they were and what they could do.

Never again would I be able to walk inside the classroom and not see the vacant chair no longer occupied by Yaoyorozu who had her nose buried in a book. She was gone, yet her absence would leave behind a lingering of guilt, doubt, and failure. The fragrance of her herbal tea would become another phantom limb to my senses, joining the ghostly traces of katsudon and paper ink.

"Sh-she was barely even alive...!" I choked the words out, feeling sick and pathetic all at once. " _She was dying in my arms_! I-I couldn't...! I couldn't save her and Thirteen—!"

As long as you didn't say it out loud then it wasn't true, a delusional and childish concept adults sometimes clung onto because they were all afraid of opening their eyes and ears to whatever hideous truth was forced upon them. For a time, I had been in denial myself. I wanted to violently shut the world up, block out everything because I refused to face my own truths and fears... but every day afterwards got harder and harder to disprove what happened.

"Kuzan? No, young man, listen to me!"

No matter how well meaning his intentions were, trying to sugar coat what happened to my classmate and teacher felt more like an insult. I wished All Might had enough sense to know when to shut his mouth and... not say anything more for the time being. It was all starting to sink in and the last thing I needed was false platitudes.

"Young man!"

God, please... please be quiet. I didn't care how great of a motivational speaker he was to the rest of the public who wanted to be told something nice and soothing, I didn't want to hear his false words of comfort. People always tended to glorify subjects of self-sacrifice and dying for the greater good, but while it was true most of the kids here got to walk away with their lives intact, it didn't make it hurt any less.

And All Might talking about their loss would only feel more like splashes of salt on a still bleeding wound.

"Kuzan, please! Listen!"

It would be like a repeat of the past. The sky clear and ever ending blue while the sun shined on, a reflection of its nonchalance on death as the world proceeded to spin without care. And just like back then, I would find myself hiding away inside my room, curled up in bed because I was a pathetic human being who once again threw everything out the window for just being there. The world would feel like it was closing in on me, the malicious voices that sounded like the old vulture would hiss in my ears to cast the blame like a knife digging and twisting its way inside my flesh.

Just like Izuku. It always came back to Izuku.

I closed my eyes shut.

 _'I'm sorry_ —You saved them!"

The drowning of hateful whispers and malicious screaming from inside, along with the clawing of bloody memories, went absolutely silent when All Might said those three deafening words. It took a moment to register what he said and what they meant, but when it eventually sank in, my heart leapt up my throat.

Hope, someone once said, was a dangerous thing.

It was a idealistic concept; a dream, a wishing star, a prayer, invoking your deepest desires to right the wrongs or uplift the dread people felt in their hearts. Back then, I used to hope that I would wake up and find myself back in my original adult body where I hadn't been used as a cruel excuse to punish people, but that hope died when I would wake up to find myself still inhabiting a new body and new name. Before, I used to hope that things would get better, that tensions would ease as I grew older, but every day got harder and harder to believe when all I got in the end was curses, fists, and blame. Long ago, I used to believe that if I prayed hard enough, promised my very heart and soul in exchange, then maybe the universe could undo the mistake of taking away the one person who was meant to be so much more than a child chasing an impossible dream...

But like every time, the universe replied with unforgiving _silence_.

Holding out for hope was a useless endeavor. It was the wishing star that would never be granted, the prayer no god would listen to, the coin wasted once tossed away inside a fountain or well.

And yet despite everything I knew, everything I went through, there was still a small part of me—the part that's been ruthlessly beaten down one too many times—who still held out for that one small percentage of possibility.

While others pretended to be children with hope resting in the very stars they aimed to rise towards, I felt like a beggar. A beggar who crawled on his scarred hands and knobby knees through the muck and filth like a beast looking for scraps to gnarl on. A man who was born from nothing and so became nothing. Even knowing the contempt and denial I had been given majority of my life, I still opened my hands and whispered,

" _Please_."

Hope drove people to insanity—but wasn't I already insane to begin with?

All Might met my wide-eyed gaze.

"Young Yaoyorozu and Thirteen are on the way to the hospital, and they're being taken care of. They're still here, young man." All Might explained, hands clutching my biceps carefully. "They're not gone. They're not beyond our reach. They are still with us, Kuzan."

My breathing came out short, and my chest seemed to have clenched up like a coil getting wound up tight. My body wobbled and my hands quickly reached for the man in front of me, grasping on tight like I was going to be blown away like I almost had the day All Might saved both me and Bakugō from the filthy sludge monster.

"No one was taken from us today, young man. You have to know that. Those villains who infiltrated the facility to harm you, rip you all away from us like it was their right? You showed them that they couldn't. All of you made sure to show them what they couldn't take." All Might almost hissed vehemently into my face. "You showed them and they left _knowing_ that."

Giant glaciers of ice exploding on the mountain top where Todoroki easily subdued his own opponents, Bakugō maliciously obliterating any scum who assumed he was easy pickings, Iida unflinchingly swinging his legs in a serious effort to viciously damage and cripple anyone who came at us with the intent to kill, and Yaoyorozu relentless in overcoming anyone who tried to stop her from reaching the outside world.

Yes, I thought, we did show them. Uraraka refusing to falter in the face of danger, Iida racing around the facility to ensure he found every one of his classmates, Satō charging forward despite his lack of sugar in order to provide the assistance desperately needed, tired and bleeding Mineta doing what he must to aid when asked, and Asui bravely leading away a band of hunters from shooting down her vulnerable classmates. Villains, murderers, psychopaths, all of them falling one-by-one under our fists and sheer force of will.

"You and Yaoyorozu did your best, and you succeeded." All Might continued to say. "Because of you, everyone is still here."

Something clogged the back of my mouth, and there a sort of painful twinge behind the feeling. There was stinging in my eye, and even as I tried to blink it away, it refused to disappear.

"You saved them, Kuzan."

In that moment, something gave out.

It was as if a tangled ball of everything wrong and negative took physical shape and began to climb its way up from the bottom of my chest. It met a barrier on the way, the tight and painful clenching which sat on the back of my tongue, but the ugly thing forged on with no hints of backing down. I tried to swallow it down, to keep it from getting out, but the thing continued persistently with no indication that it was going to stop nor was it going to go away when I wished it. It wanted out, and it was going to get out no matter what.

At the time, I didn't realize the ticking time bomb that was my brain, not realizing the steadily decreasing countdown from when I woke up. I was too busy searching through the sea of faces, too busy raging against the man who brought this hurt upon everyone, too busy hurting from old wounds that had yet to heal, and it wasn't until the last few seconds before detonation that I realized what was about to happen.

Things like shame, guilt, anger, fear, sadness, and exhaustion tended to be dangerous compositions for explosions.

Before I knew it, the timer counted down to zero and everyone was caught within my blast range.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

 **. Shōta .**

* * *

Shōta had barely turned thirteen and was only starting to get serious in his pursuit of becoming a hero when he and the rest of the nation were hit with the breaking news that started it all: Aksel Gunnarsen was pulling his company and support from Japan. The broadcast came out of nowhere, so sudden and without warning to prepare the audience watching from their homes, phones, and workplace.

While it did trouble the people, others were quick to dismiss it for an old white man throwing a temper tantrum because of some family drama occurring overseas. Besides, what was one company? There was plenty of other big wigs who would love the opportunity to make more money now that the competition was out of the way. It was only a matter of time, the others reassured their concerned neighbors, the rich and entitled bastard would come back to his senses once he realized how huge of a drop his stocks would take for such an idiotic move.

And Shōta—young, naïve little Shōta—believed them.

If there was any real life scenario Shōta could compare their situation to, it would be the slow sinking death of the Titanic and its unfortunate passengers. The people would know that their unsinkable ship had been grazed by something huge, but the realization of their dire predicament wouldn't truly make an impact until they felt cold ocean water steadily rising above their ankles.

In the short years that followed after Gunnersen, more and more support and business partners began to cut themselves out of the country. Their multiple connections to the global trade market dwindling down, and it was then that the doubts and dismissals everyone explained away finally began to quiet. What remained was the growing apprehension and dawning horror of what was happening to them.

And it was from this collapse that everything went to hell.

Their dependency on the outside world showed when everything they had left was treated like a race to see who had more right to own what and how much of it could be distributed for the rest of the population. Back then, he had scoffed at everyone's plight and heavy reliance on the shiniest new gadget on the market—until he had to watch every few days about the growing injuries and accidents related to the degrading of quirk gear and tools.

And with the lack of gear and equipment needed came the gradual rising of the death toll.

Shōta was fifteen when he entered U.A. High School, an establishment lauded for producing the best of the best. However, his entrance exams landed him in the Gen Ed courses, but he didn't let that deter him from trying to rise up into the Hero Course. The Sports Festival would see to that.

But his climb towards the peak ended up not being a struggle at all.

The USJ hadn't been established until much later some years after Thirteen gathered enough support and contributions for their effort to create a much stable and safer environment for rescue training and such, but before then, class back then had to be taken out in the real world. Everyone of course was told now and again the safety measures, what not to do when out there, and not to get in the way of the real Pro's who were working their butts off to help citizens.

The class session was done within a controlled perimeter, and the teacher with them made extra sure to guide his students on how many ways a hero could secure the terrain whilst ensuring the safety protocols for his students. The class had tools with them to keep things stable as the students worked diligently to safely guide the people trapped inside the rubble. By the time the day was over, three kids ended up hospitalized.

The first student was struck in the face by a panicky citizen who lashed out with their quirk, resulting in half their face being melted off. The second student received a serious case of spinal injuries due to catching falling debris when the equipment keeping the rubble stable and up gave out all of a sudden. Even with their super strength quirk, they could only hold so much weight as the third and final student found her leg crushed between the falling debris.

Time was limited and the teacher had to act quickly or else risk losing both his students as the second one was steadily losing his grip on the heavy rubble.

And just like that, the third student's goals and dreams of becoming a hero was cut short. Not even a week in school and already her future was over. That day, she was hauled out of the scene with a bloody stump where her leg used to be.

A few weeks afterwards, Aizawa Shōta joined his new class.

In the years following the first incidents, he watched the world change into something gruesome and ugly as the number of students in his classroom began to shrink.

Kids in his class liked to brag and show off their quirks, they believed they knew everything like the back of their hands, and they were pretty sure they knew exactly what they were doing.

Those kids died. Some died because of mistakes, some died because they were unprepared, and some died because they got cocky.

They weren't the only ones.

Everywhere else, like an unseen plague that struck them all when they had their backs turned, people started to die. Emergency announcements and new regulations had to be updated every few weeks, their tools and equipment needed daily check ups to prevent items and machines from failing during the middle of a training exercise or when heroes were out on patrol. Almost every day there was a candlelight vigil for those who died too soon and too suddenly, and there was so many that people couldn't remember who to pray and offer their condolences to.

The nation tried to call for outside assistance. They demanded other countries and organizations to come to their aid, throwing around money and favors like confetti in a parade, almost bringing themselves to their knees to grovel because they needed some goddamn help here.

But all they got in reply was more silence from the other end of the line.

Here they were, people hurt and dying, the nation on the verge of collapse, villain attacks on the rise—and still no one was lifting a damn finger to offer them the aid they desperately needed.

All because of one selfish old prick and his personal vendetta against his own fucking daughter.

Their lives meant nothing to that man and his family, Shōta realized. While Aksel Gunnarsen was living comfortably under the roof his billion dollar company mansion, Shōta and the rest of his country were left to sweep the streets full of violence, death, and failure.

Like glaciers in the deep south or high north, a cold anger overcame him. A deep and ugly resentment that stayed with him for many years as he survived, outlived, and grew into the man he was today.

Screw them, came a vicious sneer from the back of his mind, screw those pathetic bastards who cowardly tucked tail when their owner ordered them to. Screw their talks about wanting to be a united front for the rest of the world. Screw their images and so-called great efforts in keeping the peace when they were quick to follow the command of their master. Screw every entitled man and woman and hero for abandoning them.

If no one was going to help then it was obvious that Japan needed to do the damn fixing themselves with whatever manpower and resources they had available. It would take many years full of loss and struggling to right themselves, but eventually they all found a foothold and proceeded to make their long climb upwards. Back then in the early years, a lot of kids died not just because of villain attacks, disasters, and faulty equipment, but also because schools had spat them out in the front lines without real proper training.

The whole thing made Shōta think of wars long past, how governments recruited the young and strong to fight their bloody battles under the name of "Justice" and "Peace".

Some people even started to refer to those as annual cullings. The strong only to survive while the weak were weeded out. It disgusted him.

It's why he didn't hesitate Nemuri's offer in becoming a teacher at his old high school.

Putting his Bachelor's Degree to use, he spent more time weeding the students than passing them. Just like the kids from when he first joined the Department of Heroes, all of them cocky, prideful, and reckless in their desires to become heroes. Eyes clouded with dreams rather than steady and ahead of the road before them which made it easier to drop them and sweep the youngsters off their feet when they least expected them.

Of course they cursed and spat at him, shouting how unfair their expulsion was, but their flashy quirks and declarations of protecting society would only get them so far. The students lacked the determination and logic in what it meant to be heroes, and that's why it was easier to save them the trouble rather than send them out there to their deaths.

But then one day, a certain group of kids came along and they stubbornly dug their nails into their desks, refusing to go without a fight. Unfortunately, much to his displeasure, sitting amongst them was the grandson of Aksel Gunnarsen.

Shōta's first impression of the boy was that he was a cocky, prideful, and pretentious little bastard. Barely paid attention, had an ugly temper when his teacher called him out, and was disrespectful to boot while swaggering past the older man after his ball throw. As much as he wanted to fail the boy, the kid made high scores and he actually did his best when told to do so.

So as much as he hated to admit it, the boy had the power, knack, and wisdom to accomplish amazing feats which left a lot of people impressed during the entrance exams (before they all found out who he was). He wished he could say that he was being a stickler for the rules and wasn't biased by his assessment of the kid, but the moment he saw the boy fly out of bounds from the city block before the time limit, he didn't hesitate to mark the kid off without hesitation whatsoever.

Yet it didn't end there. Two kids barged into the administrative office, one of whom Shōta recognized as Tensei's kid brother, demanding for the boy to have a second chance as they claimed how unfair the expulsion was and the loss of such potential would be detrimental to them all. The kids were emboldened, their passion to stand against injustice inspired by the actions of the boy who took the first step to help others after the sudden arrival of the Zero Pointer.

Principal Nedzu used their protest as ammunition to support his argument in allowing the boy to enter U.A. High School (All Might also taking a firm stance in the boy's second chance). It was only made worse as there had been reports and video footage of multiple kids stomping over the boy who appeared to be temporarily incapacitated from the drawback his powerful quirk, not to mention others stealing his property and using it as decoration for the front entrance of the school.

The boy was assigned to Class 1-A.

His class.

Shōta didn't believe in ridiculous things like destiny or fate.

The first couple days were terrible, and Hizashi even commented how easy he lost his cool whenever the boy was so much in the same vicinity as him. His friends and co-workers suggested that he step back as a teacher and simply let someone else take over for him as he was clearly uncomfortable with the brat around, but that felt like an admission of weakness and that's the last thing he was.

But then he blew up on the boy in front of the class and All Might after finding no costume registrations under his name. He didn't like people who got under his skin so easily, but he especially hated people not following safety protocols (one of the first hard lessons he learned after watching his own classmates die in the beginning). He was not going to be responsible for the little bastard's death if he ran around without protection—but once again, someone stood up for him.

All Might look like a bear about to maul him to death with the way he towered over him, eyes bright with fury as he shielded the boy from his wrath. If it hadn't been for the dire need of the blond's secrecy, Shōta would've erased the man's muscular image to reveal how feeble he really was in the face of his students.

Just like before, Tensei's brother stepped up to explain the situation.

Afterwards, like being a student himself inside the halls of his school, Shōta was given a firm warning from the principal. He needed to keep his temper and personal issues in check, he needed to keep his head lodged between his shoulders, and if he really couldn't handle the boy then he ought to step back and let someone take over. Once again, it felt like someone was wondering if he was being weak and therefore incapable of doing the best of abilities. Shōta felt as though both the principal and All Might were going easy on the boy for some reason, and it irked him how forgiving they were about it.

All Might seemed suspiciously close the boy, and there was only so many theories on why the older man would coddle the kid. Complaining or asking questions on the matter wouldn't do much seeing as the number one hero has the mammal's ear, so Shōta decided to suck it up and just deal with it. If he pretended that there was a black hole in his classroom, the better his day would go.

Except the boy started to act in a strange manner the next day.

During the bus ride towards the USJ building, the boy oozed of deep anxiety to the point where most of his classmates noticed and commented on his twitchy behavior. Glancing back, he also took notice of the boy's pale complexion. Some of the others tried to get him into talking, their own way of helping the boy take his mind off of whatever matter was troubling him, but he wasn't in the mood to talk much and he remained utterly quiet as he watched the school shrink in the distance.

Shōta hoped the boy wouldn't do something stupid to disrupt the class with his skittish behavior, but he knew that would asking for too much as the brat lagged behind the group and paid little to no mind to Thirteen's introduction.

As he predicted, the boy broke his silence and began to act out.

They were all in danger, the brat cried to the others, they needed to turn back quickly whilst they still could. His tangerine eyes were full of unspeakable terror as he pleaded for his teachers to hear him out.

 _"Please, you have to believe me!"_

At this point, Shōta had enough. His patience was worn and he didn't want to hear anymore excuses from the boy, had enough of people coddling him, and was angry for every time they came to the wretched bastard's defense when the boy clearly had no control when interacting with teachers and other students. He didn't care that the principal would get after him for it, but after school was over, that kid was getting a boot out the door for the final time. It was only icing on the cake when his dismissal of the boy's warnings almost took a violent turn, the kid having snatched the front of his attire and shaking him aggressively as if it would be enough to knock sense into the older man.

Just when he thought he could finally use this encounter as his one and only damning evidence that the boy had no place in their school—they fell under attack.

From far below, hordes of villains appeared from a black mist as they cried out for the slaughter of his students.

The training facility surrounded, connections to the campus cut off, Shōta quickly decided to buy time for the kids by leaving them under the care of his colleague whilst he held back the villains. This obviously meant he would die, but he was determined to take out as many before someone got the lucky shot. And as he dove down the staircase, he could hear the boy screaming after him.

Because of his hasty actions in wanting to put a barrier between the enemy and the children, this resulted in Class 1-A and Thirteen being quickly targeted by the warp villain who sent them all in different areas of the facility to fend for themselves. Furious and cursing himself for overlooking the misty figure, he threw himself into the fight to break jaws, noses, and bones so he could reach somebody in time before they were killed.

His memories of the early years started to resurface at the worst possible time as he ducked and dodged through the bodies trying to take him.

Fifteen-year-old Shōta had been the scrawniest and shortest kid of his class, two things which everyone else annoyed him over. It only got worse when they all decided upon themselves to look after the little guy who's only special power was nullifying quirks.

It was why a lot of them ended up in an early grave. His classmates were too busy trying to protect him from the danger when they should've been smart in looking after their own damn selves.

 _Tozan Hirohi died choking in his own blood, a knife sticking out at the back of his throat because he was too busy laughing at_ _Shōta for tripping over his feet when they both went after an armed purse-snatcher._

He dodged and somersaulted away from a group of charging villains, wanting to keep a distance. But he left behind a trail of his capture weapon which he quickly tugged forward to trip over dozens of people before going back to kick the shit out of them so that they would be down for the count. He didn't care if it would leave many of them with concussions from how hard his boot made contact with their heads, he wasn't going to get a knife in the back for being careless.

 _He and Kurohitsugi_ _Shīna, along with some rescuers, were trying to reach for survivors in a collapsed tunnel. Someone made a mistake when trying to move something out of the way to reach a couple and their crying infant. It was two days later after waking up inside a hospital room that he learned from his teacher how_ _Shīna used her black box quirk to shield him from the collapse, ultimately ensuring his survival._ _Shīna, the rescuers, and the other survivors who were trapped, didn't make it._

They all were trying to overwhelm him with their numbers by herding and boxing him in. However, they could be sorely disappointed and quickly drop that tactic because he trained himself in how to avoid those seemingly tight spaces. It also helped that he was good in close combat, surprising the idiots who thought they could take him just because they were bigger and heavier than him.

 _It was a typical case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Yamazaki Antei, Nemuri, and_ _Shōta were caught in the crossfire as they ducked under the tables and desks while the bullets flew over their heads. Something fell over him, but he didn't dare open his eyes. Reinforcements came in, pushing the gang back until they were backed into a corner and forced to surrender. Pushing off from the ground,_ _Shōta finally noticed what was weighing heavily on his and Nemuri's back: Antei._

His quirk could nullify others from using their abilities, but it couldn't stop a gun from going off as one villain discovered in a moment of brilliance. Luckily the first bullet grazed his hair, but Shōta knew the next ones wouldn't offer the same, so he moved quickly to lose himself in the crowd. Spotting a meathead who's skin looked almost similar to Kirishima's hardening quirk, he captured the man and flung him towards the gunman which subsequently ended the gunfire.

 _"I-I don't wanna die. I do' wanna die!" Kagami Ōtsuki whispered to Hizashi as he laid dying in the blond's arms. There was no ambush, no disastrous setting to create an accident, no villain to put the blame on_ _—just a little girl having a temper tantrum in the middle of a crowded street while accidentally unleashing her dangerously potent quirk upon the oblivious bystanders. Because of the fall-out, the girl's family had no means to acquire the quirk aid they had depended on, and now with the seven deaths in their hands, extreme measures would be taken to prevent future incidents._

Spotting a villain with a gas mask about to sneak up on him, he launched himself away from the individual who appeared to be carrying a tank full of what he suspected to be poison. The poisonous villain probably needed to get in close enough to unleash his deadly fumes, but while the ink-haired man was good at close range combat, he was better at long range as well. From the safe distance between him and the poison man, his capture weapon surrounded the villain before flinging him further away from his position while sacrificing a portion of his scarf to keep the other man bound. With the villain out of the way, Shōta continued to fight.

 _Ōkasen Kokuten was a good kid. Another boy inspired by the heroic deeds he'd seen on the television screen, he hoped to bring back the bit of happiness that slowly became absent in people's lives. In the end, the propaganda he loved so much got him killed after he faced against a dangerous villain who sucked out all his warmth and sunshine like a parasitic mosquito greedily devouring blood. All that was left of the happy-go-sunshine kid was a shriveled heap of flesh. From there,_ _Shōta's view of the media grew jaded as the years went by._

Honor had no place in the battlefield, it was only about who had the stronger will to survive such an ordeal. Media would only glorify people's deaths by calling them noble sacrifices to their country, but families and friends would always know better. Shōta wondered how this would play out when this was over, how would people look at these students and what would they say about them? Another tragedy? Another wasted batch of combatants? He didn't want that for the kids, nor for himself.

But what could a corpse say to convince the reporters otherwise?

 _ **Ka-BOOOOOMMM!**_

So lost was he in the fight that he hadn't noticed what's been happening from beyond. With the villains distracted, he finally took notice of the rubble falling from where a cannonball had struck. Yaoyorozu's handiwork. From the wreckage, he also took notice of the Mountain Zone which was engulfed in ice, slowly making its way downward which said how quick Todoroki was to dispatch his own villains. And in the distance, the faint sound of multiple explosions going off somewhere in the Conflagration Zone told him how much destruction Bakugō was causing.

Slight movement having caught his attention, he saw the distant figure of Tensei's brother and the boy speedily making their way towards the Flood Zone. As much as he wanted to admonish them both for endangering themselves, he had little choice in the matter. The kids were going to need all the help they could get if they wanted to come out of the alive.

Despite Kurogiri's efforts in thwarting her attempts to signal the school, Yaoyorozu sent a flash grenade their direction (aiding her teacher who used the distraction to strike down the blind foot soldiers) while unleashing another cannonball which exploded in plumes of red smoke. It was huge, making it difficult for Kurogiri to swallow it up and send it elsewhere. It wouldn't be long before the teacher's assembled and come knocking down the front door.

Things were finally looking up for them, Shōta thought.

Until he found himself flat on his stomach while the monster—Nōmu—twisted his limbs in odd angles until bone poked through his flesh. The pain was unlike anyone he ever felt before, and it made Shōta scream.

Things only grew worse when Kurogiri, at the behest of the pale-haired man who was known as Shigaraki, warped one of his students. Though shocked, Yaoyorozu rolled back to her feet to meet the danger.

However, she faltered at the horrible sight of his bloody and broken limbs. Yet the moment she heard Shigaraki's raspy voice, she twirled around with her fist to catch him directly in the face, knocking away the severed hand that served as a mask. Bloodlust overtook the man's red eyes, angry from having his mask get knocked off; he then uttered the name of his murderous pet.

In the span of a few seconds, the Nōmu disappeared only to reappear from behind the girl's back. With a single swing of it's arm, Yaoyorozu was sent flying until she fell in a crumpled heap on the floor.

His horror only grew when he watched as the Nōmu began to lumber it's way towards the girl, and Shōta couldn't stop himself at screaming for the thing, for the man, for this whole mess, to stop. His students (along with the heavily injured Thirteen) started to gather around the central area, and he could hear them crying out at the sight of both their teacher and classmate in danger. Shigaraki had only scoffed at his futile attempts, watching without remorse as the beast lifted it's leg to crush Yaoyorozu's head.

Orange lightening flashed across the facility until it struck true to its intended target: the Nōmu.

The area reacted from the impact, dust and wind swirling about, but everyone could see that the beast was no longer there as it was sent flying into the Landslide Zone. Taking the monster's place was the boy, his body bright and burning with power.

A blink later, he was shocked to find himself in the boy's arms with Yaoyorozu hanging from the other side. The both of them were quickly plucked off the ground to be carefully deposited in the awaiting arms of their students and colleague. Thirteen wasted no time in ordering the kids to help Yaoyorozu while Uraraka and Sero did their best to turn his scarf into arm slings. Once pulled atop the broad back of another student, Satō, his attention immediately went back to the villains.

Just as Shigaraki was beginning to make threats against his students, the boy was already on top of the Nōmu who was quick to return at it's master's call. The both of them crashed into the staircase, dust swallowing the wreckage whole. There was brief flickers of orange, illuminating the boy's position. And then they were on the move again, the fight crashing inside the Storm Zone where even the tremors and destruction could be felt from where they stood.

Back in the immediate area, Todoroki and Bakugō teamed up to go after Kurogiri (aiming for the metal brace collar they were wearing) while Tenya, Tokoyami, and Kirishima worked together to surround and pin down the Shigaraki fellow. Tenya had went after the pale-haired man first to land a blow to the head, hoping to quickly incapacitate him, but the red-eyed villain was surprisingly agile. His long and pale fingers barely brushed against Tenya's legs, but the effects were startling enough to make the bespectacled boy stumble and yelp in alarm.

The cloth and armored turbo boots disintegrated. Rust and rot taking over, cracking and crumbling until it drifted away like dust destroyed by the grinder. Iida didn't have to be told to back off, and the others were quick to follow. This left Tokoyami, a long-range fighter, to use his quick in taking on the pale man.

A second explosion from the Flood Zone jostled everyone, but Shōta kept his eye trained on the villains in front of him. The monster bashed his face in earlier to the floor, and he was feeling a bit light-headed from the blood loss, but try as he might to use his quirk on the villains, it was no use. His students were unfortunately on their own for now, and it was up to them to keep everyone safe.

There was another crash, but this time everyone could hear the boy cursing up a storm. This time, Shōta couldn't stop himself from looking.

The boy had his arms locked around the Nōmu, and he was plunging it downwards head first to collide against the ground. The creature, he noticed, appeared to be severely burned from all around it's upper torso. Seeing as they had come from the Conflagration Zone, he figured the boy must've used the flames to temporarily incapacitate the monster long enough to finally take it out.

But then Kurogiri interfered.

And the Nōmu had a mouthful of the boy.

Aghast at the image of their classmate about to be eaten alive, his body swung around like a chew toy, the kids started to scream. Some of them were already tearing their eyes away, not wanting to see the end result.

Bakugō was shouting the boy's name.

Just when the kids were about to lose hope in the situation for their classmate's survival, the boy surprised them all with another trick up his sleeve. Pulling up the lower half of his body, the boy twisted it in a corkscrew fashion. Once the action was done, he yanked himself forward, pulling the Nōmu off it's feet, and then proceeded to spin rapidly until the beast could no longer hold on to it's victim.

Although injured and bloody from the shoulder which gushed like a red fountain, the boy was already trying to scramble back to his feet, the monster approaching him as it's skin stitched itself back together—when the light engulfing him extinguished.

And suddenly, without so much as a warning, the boy collapsed and his body began to tear itself apart. The quirk drawback was not like the one Shōta had seen back during the entrance exams, this one appeared to be destroying itself. The Nōmu was almost on top of the boy, jaws wide open to finish what it started, but an enraged Bakugō was quickly blasting his way towards the boy and monster with murderous intent written plainly on his face.

Shigaraki meanwhile stood unmolested after Thirteen ordered Tenya, Kirishima, and Tokoyami to back off due to the dangerous quirk that almost came close to killing them several times despite their best effort to team up and strike him when he was distracted. The pale-haired man watched the proceedings impatiently, like a child forced to wait for a parent who was trying to quickly finish their business.

Seeing the exploding boy about to intervene, the pale man didn't get the chance to order his monster to turn it's attention on Bakugō because suddenly he was falling over himself, choking and wheezing from the punch that collided against his sternum. Because of how quick it came and how strong the dust blew from the blow, Shōta was certain that the boy's aim in collapsing the villain's chest cavity had succeeded, thus preventing the sick bastard from ordering the monster to go after anyone else.

"... _**sssSSSmmMMMaaAAAssSSShhhHHH**_!"

All Might, as most people liked to say now and then, arrived on the nick of time. He came streaking through the destroyed opening of the roof, his fist already swinging forward to collide against the beast's blank face—putting great distance between it and the two kids. Not even thirty seconds later, the entrance blew open and the rest of the school faculty was already storming the place. Hizashi could be heard screaming at the top of his lungs, destroying eardrums along the way, and Nemuri was probably flipping and whipping through her own fraction of villains to sate her sadistic delight. Nothing pleased her more than putting anyone who tried to threaten her students through the damn ringer.

His relief continued to grow as more and more familiar faces gathered around, closing themselves until they formed a tight circle to protect the children while dealing with the murderous cowards who invaded their place. One angry bellow from All Might and everyone got to see him punch the Nōmu through the roof until it became a distant twinkle in the sky (that was going to be a bitch to retrieve later on).

Because everything had been happening so fast, the wretched smokey figure of Kurogiri bypassed the heroes and quickly swallowed Shigaraki before disappearing. With his eyes bruised and swollen, he was unable to stop the pair from making their escape. He distantly heard Inui growling and cursing behind his muzzle, but he quickly dropped the issue in favor of going back to immediate business such as checking over the other children. Someone guided Recovery Girl to Thirteen and Yaoyorozu, and the old woman hiss under her breath at the terrible sight.

Ectoplasm was sending his clones to cover most of the Zones, flushing out the remaining villains to meet the line of Pro heroes waiting for them outside.

Less than thirty minutes later, police, heroes, and medics arrived and flooded the entrance of the USJ, guiding the students out while locking up the remaining villains left behind. From what Shōta heard, the entire campus was going through a lock down to sniff out any remaining stragglers who thought they could make a run for it after their "getaway car" up and left them. Multiple villains arrested and detained, they all were packed up and loaded in the prison transports waiting outside.

Beyond that, there was a sense of something fragile in the air. Nedzu made a quick headcount, face calm and composed but firm as he finally counted all twenty children under their care. Recovery Girl did her best to alleviate the damage on Yaoyorozu and Thirteen as they were her biggest concerns, but after a small dose of adrenaline, she was able to heal them enough without risking their lives. Soon after, the two of them were loaded into the back of separate ambulances, booking it to the nearest general hospital where a team of doctors would be waiting for them upon arrival.

Meanwhile, the boy got his shoulder patched up by Recovery Girl yet needed to be taken to the hospital as well since he was still in danger of the blood he lost. All the while the old lady was fixing him up, Bakugō appeared to be frustrated with something from how he snapped and snarled while gesturing towards the unconscious boy. He would have continued had Kan not forced the ash blond teen to get checked by a medic who was twittering nervously in the background. All Might had been quiet the entire time, only making a quick round through the students as if to reassure himself that they were all here. The blond was then pulled aside by Tsukauchi, a detective Shōta had met a few times in the past; he watched the duo disappear elsewhere.

Once it was his turn, Recovery Girl took one look at him and gave a small huff that could only be a combination of exasperation, exhaustion, and relief. She was annoyed at people who got themselves hurt from taking unnecessary risks, felt exhausted because this was not the first time she's had to deal with stubborn idiots, and relieved that someone got to live to see another day. Bowing his head, he felt her cool lips press against his dirty and bloody forehead.

Everything felt numb and a bit cold at first until heat engulfed the areas where pain radiated the most. He sensed his arms moving, unwinding themselves from their awkward positions until they returned to their original positions before the monster snapped them like twigs. His bones, his bruises, his gashes, all of it disappearing. Recovery Girl pulled away and he almost stumbled forward into her tiny frame.

He was so tired.

But Hizashi clearly wasn't in the mood to care about what he wanted.

Nemuri and Kan stood by the side, allowing the lecture to happen because if it wasn't the radio host, then they certainly would bite his head off (Recovery Girl only had to give him a _look_ and it would make him feel like a stupid kid all over again). Their little intervention was cut short when Recovery Girl was startled by the sight of someone approaching them, and they all looked to find the boy.

The boy was wide awake, and his balance was worrisome from the way he swayed a little when he stood tall, but his feet remained planted on the ground while his tangerine orbs glued themselves on Shōta's frame. Had the boy hobbled over to his teacher out of concern? Had he bled himself on the way to Shōta if only to ask if his teacher would be alright?

Okay. Wow.

Nemuri smiled, mirth blooming in her blue eyes. Like a bloodhound picking up his scent, she knew he felt abashed from the way he had treated the boy in the past few days, how quick he was to accuse and ostracize Aksel's kin.

However—

 _ **crack!**_

The boy hadn't been asking out of concern; he just wanted to make sure his teacher was fixed up enough to take a beating.

There was a second where Shōta was in a dazed stupor, his brain unable to compute what just happened, before he was snapped back to reality when the numb sensation on the right side of his disappeared and was replaced with unmerciful agony. He hadn't noticed he was lying flat on his back until he felt Hizashi pull him up and drag him away, trying to put distance between them and the angry boy who was already trying to go for another attack.

Kan was restraining him, but that didn't keep the boy from going after him. He didn't even seem to hear people shouting at him to stop. Some of the heroes were already beginning to make their way over to them, leaving behind the stunned students in the care of the policemen who had to restrain some when they also tried to run over.

The boy then bellowed something, voice as harsh and raw as the foreign words that poured out of his mouth.

" _DE KUNNE HA DREPT OSS_!" the boy shouted at the top of his lungs. " _DERES BLOD ER PÅ DERES HENDER_! _SKAL DU FÅ BETALE MED LIVET_!"

Nemuri cursed, preparing her weapon to go on the offense when the boy managed to free his arm and prepared to take another swing at them, not caring who got in the way so long as his aim struck true to his target. Everyone held their breath for the incoming attack, but it was all for naught. All Might was suddenly there, his large hand capturing the boy's wrist to keep it from harming anyone.

Crouching in front of the angry boy, the number one hero of Japan quietly began to beckon the boy out of his mad haze by gently calling out to him by his first name. For a man who usually sounded like clapping thunder across the skies, it felt out of place, but his method none the less seemed to be working because awareness slowly seeped back into the boy's eyes.

Still looking troubled, All Might pulled the boy into an easy embrace. Instead of snarling and biting the man's head off like Shōta almost expected the boy to do, the kid instead pressed his nose in the blond's neck and shoulder area where he proceeded to inhale it greedily like it was the only way he could breathe. Shōta recalled how some people with psychic and sensory type quirks often got overwhelmed when their brains took in too much. Inui would sometimes lose himself to his beastly side, and it had to take awhile for him to come back to himself.

That, or there was someone he trusted to ground him.

The boy trusted All Might. All Might was his safe space.

After things calmed down, All Might finally asked the question: what happened? And like a beaver dam breaking, the boy's jumbled words went pouring out of his mouth like word vomit.

The ominous danger after the cafeteria scare.

The growing paranoia on the bus ride.

The spine-tingling, hair-raising sensation of something about to murder them all after stepping inside the building.

The boy tried to warn them. He even tried to warn—

"He wouldn't listen! _HE WOULDN'T LISTEN_!" blazing tangerines scorched into his skin, unforgiving and unflinching as the fury behind the boy's tone. "I nearly had to watch my classmates get slaughtered in front of me because he wouldn't **_FUCKING LISTEN_**!"

An ugly thing, unwanted and unwelcome, made itself home in Shōta. The poisonous guest didn't take long to spread itself from his mind, leaving behind a trail of rot and pain as it went down his throat to the bottom of his stomach where it sat like heavy concrete. The underground hero was used to things like guilt, and intimately familiar with anger, but this was new.

Shame.

He almost jumped out of his skin when he noticed the old lady coming to kneel down by his side. Hizashi was keeping him up, ready to bolt with him in case the kid tried to attack them again. Recovery Girl was reaching for his face again.

Shōta turned away, rejecting her.

He promised himself that he would never do to his own students what the teachers did to him and his classmates. They were not expendable lives, they were not replacements to replenish the ranks, they were not fucking foot soldiers to be used! But after today... _Jesus Christ_. Thirteen and the poor girl didn't deserve to go through what they did today; nobody should've been forced to fight had he just listened...!

A fucking _child_ had to be the one to clean up his mess.

"You saved them!"

Shōta blinked (biting back the urge to wince because of how the movement on his facial muscles aggravated the right side of his face). Looking up, he saw the boy staring at All Might with eyes wide as saucers.

Without missing a beat, All Might continued.

Yaoyorozu and Thirteen miraculously amongst the living. Brave children banding together in an effort to fight back until victory came in the form of reinforcements. Multiple villains captured and incarcerated, all of them defeated by a pack of determined students unwilling to bow down in the face of death. Relief and triumph blooming in people's hearts as they relayed to the rest of the teams holding their breaths that all twenty children and two teachers were accounted for.

It was a surreal moment for Shōta (and the others as well). He expected death to sweep in and claim many lives today, for his so-called dumb luck to finally run out and finally take his place amongst the phantoms who haunted the living, for everything to play out like it always did despite his best efforts to avoid it. But here he was, alive and well... except, he wasn't alone. Unlike all the countless times he outlived people, this time, others got to bask in moment of being alive.

This time, death was violently pushed out the front door by a bunch of stubborn children.

The day started out like a total nightmare—too late to run, too young to fight, too stupid and angry to listen, too weak to do a damn thing about it—But it ended with a _miracle_.

"Because of you, everyone is still here."

Class 1-A, Shōta observed as he scanned his students, looked on to their fellow classmate like moths drawn to the flames. Gone was the coldness glazing over their eyes, gone was the criticism in their tones when they spoke aloud in the boy's presence, gone was the distrust they felt for him after the first day of school, gone was the wariness and contempt, and gone was the misplaced hate they held for Aksel Gunnarsen's grandson.

What remained was a group of kids worrying about their distressed classmate.

 _Fūrin Ayane was a mess._ _Shōta watched himself try to push back the innards that tried to slip out of her gaping open wound, ordering Kan to use his quirk so it would keep her heart pumping. They needed to look after her until help arrived. They just needed... Fucking moron, he wanted to curse at the girl who lied there gasping for air, why did she think it was a good idea to go alone in saving a bunch of trapped citizens while a villain was wreaking havoc in the area? She should've waited for back up, she should've waited for him to be there! Stupid, stupid girl!_

 _Ayane coughed blood, and Kan startled. He began to pull back his quirk, but_ _Shōta snapped at him to continue. Doubt started to come over Kan's face, and it made the ink-haired boy want to_ scream _in frustration because did he want her to die_?! _Ayane's wet coughing subsided._

 _"It's okay! It's okay, they're coming!" he went on to reassure the girl, voice frantic and jumbled. "I swear they're almost here! Just hold on—keep your eyes open!"_

 _"Sh-Shōta," Ayane rasped, voice still wet as the blood painting her mouth. "I... I'm so... rry..."_

 _"Save your strength. We'll talk later."_

 _She said nothing. Her face began to slacken and her eyes stared at nothing while her breath became faint like fading mist. Panic and dread beginning to settle in,_ _Shōta ordered Kan to keep pumping her blood. The other boy hesitated, but_ _Shōta was already angrily past his point in caring and demanded the other boy do something because their goddamn classmate was dying here! Finally, Kan did as he was told, using his blood quirk to get Ayane's heart pumping so her body wouldn't shut down on itself._

 _There was other voices coming from behind them, heroes who had been busy in dealing with the aftermath by searching for survivors and collecting bodies in the area. He didn't pay them any mind, too focused on Ayane to do much else. All they had to do was wait for the paramedics to arrive. Ayane would make it back to the hospital, and the doctors would treat her wounds_ _—_

 _Someone touched his shoulder._

 _"That's enough, young man."_

 _Her complexion was utterly pale, even as Kan was pumping blood._

 _He shrugged the person's hand off his shoulder. "Fuck off."_

 _Ayane continued to stare at nothing. She was probably going into shock. The medics had to come quickly or else..._

 _"You've done the best you could, but you have to stop."_

 _And to his shock, Kan did just that: he stopped._

 _Shōta exploded like a firecracker going off in the middle of a library, so sudden and without warning. He almost vaulted himself over Ayane's body to tackle Kan so he could beat him black and blue, but the person behind them prevented the young teen from doing so._ _Shōta then proceeded to kick and scream like an unruly child, squirming and struggling to escape his muscly prison as the individual took him elsewhere while leaving Kan alone with Ayane._

 _"LET ME GO! LET ME GO, YOU ASSHOLE! I CAN SAVE HER! I CAN STILL SAVE HER!"_

 _Once they stood a safe distance, the person placed him back on the ground while also holding his shoulders in place so_ _Shōta wouldn't be able to run back. They crouched down to his level and the teen was shocked to find who it was that pulled him away; the recognizable golden strands which stood upright even as the drizzling rain continued to pour down on their heads and shoulders. Instead of the brilliant smile adorning his face, there was a somber and grim face looking back at_ _Shōta._

 _"Young man..." All Might's hands framed his face, keeping_ _Shōta's eyes on him. "You did all that you could to save her."_

 _No stupid motivational speech about never giving up, no glorious declaration of victory just over the horizon, no boasts of courage pinned to every person's heart. Nothing._

 _All Might was simply telling_ _him that he failed._

 _Shōta let out another enraged scream, hands coming up to claw and kick the bastard in front of him. How could he say that?! How could he fucking say that?! How could he have the goddamn gall to say something when Ayane was right there! She was right there...!_

 _"DIE! YOU CAN GO DIE! FUCKING DIE, YOU BASTARD!"_

 _He punched, kicked, spat, scratched, but it had no effect on the older man. All Might wasn't even trying to stop him, and it only made_ _Shōta feel so much angry (and pathetic, and weak, and useless). Movement from the corner of his vision made him look back to find people gathering Ayane. White tarp was pulled over her, not to shield her from the rain but to identify her as... as... He choked on his tongue. A tall man in a business suit was talking to Kan, leading him away from the bloody puddle staining the ground where she, where Ayane_ _—_

 _Shōta collapsed into All Might's arms._

 _He cried, unable to keep back his anguish and grief from having to watch everyone he knew die. All Might just held on tighter._

"You saved them, Kuzan."

Shōta didn't believe in ridiculous things like destiny or fate—but he knew irony when it punched him right in the face.

The boy who carried with him the blood of the accursed tyrant from across the world, the boy who everyone shunned and dismissed from the very beginning, the one person who by all rights should've gotten a boot out the door because him and his ilk were not welcome in the halls of U.A., somehow became the reason why they all got an unexpected but welcome outcome. Because he was the one to first recognize the danger, because he was the one who was quick to react, because he was the one to formulate a plan before they were all forcibly separated from each other, because he gave it his all... everyone was _alive_.

A strangled noise erupted from the boy's lips.

From death hanging overhead, desperation pushing him to succeed in going above and beyond in saving everyone, and anger fueling his veins after he mistakenly believed all had been lost for Yaoyorozu and Thirteen, exhaustion finally came in to collect its due. With no one coming after them, nothing more to fight off, and the anger already drained out of his system, his body allowed itself to crash down as it should've long ago.

Sengoku Kuzan, the boy who had saved his entire class and teachers, broke down in tears and wept openly for all to see and hear.

He obviously hadn't mean to, but once the dam opened up, there was no way he could shove it all back inside. The sobs grew louder, and knowing how vulnerable he was with everyone looking on and listening, Sengoku turned away and buried himself in All Might's embrace. And just like before, long ago when the world was getting darker and colder while another boy cried his heart out, All Might held on tighter.

* * *

Tozan Hirohi - His name means "Inverse Mountain, Abundant Benevolence"

Kurohitsugi Shīna - Her name means - "Black Coffin, Hollow Object"

Yamazaki Antei - His name means "Mountain Cape, Lasting"

Kagami Ōtsuki - His name means "Mirror, Big Moon"

Ōkasen Kokuten - His name means "Yellow Fire Flash, Sunspot"

Fūrin Ayane - Her name means "Wind Chime, Colorful Sound"

Just so you know, I went looking for stuff in Google so correct me if I'm wrong. But essentially what Kuzan was screaming roughly translate to this:

De kunne ha drept oss! "You could have killed us!"

Deres blod er på deres hender! "Their blood is on your hands!"

Skal du få betale med livet! "You will pay with your life!"


	20. Chapter II: The Man who knew Too Much

**A/N:** First, I just want to say sorry I got stuck in the previous chapter for almost three months because work made me busy, life made me kind of miserable, and then my muse has been slowly seduced by a new fandom (Oh God, it's happening), so I thought it a good idea to release the chapter so everyone could have _something_ to read whilst I tried to finally get my shit together and continue the story properly.

In other news... someone got after me (again).

Apparently, my constant usage of strong language in the story proved too much for them, and they felt the need to leave a flame review because of it. Which is weird because *looks at the summary box* didn't I rate this story M for mature which usually means there's adult situations, mild sexual content, and _strong language_? Didn't I warn people that this story is for people 18 and older? Didn't it show Kuzan growing up with bouts of depression while sometimes expressing intense anger due to a history of being abused and ostracized? Didn't this story show Kuzan briefly being raised alongside the _Bakugō_ family (do they remember Mistuki and Katsuki)?

Seriously, people get offended over the dumbest things and have to be asshats by leaving unnecessary hate comments. First because some guy complained about the change of the art cover of the story and now because of some strong language. Jeez, smh...

Anyway, onto the reviews!

 _ **Exiled Soul Nomad,**_ What happens next is you reading this chapter I uploaded for you. :)

 _ **Prince,**_ Hey there, missed hearing from you! I know it's been awhile but *does best All Might impression* I AM HERE! And I do my best in **SMASHING** you right in the feels! Thanks for pointing out the mistakes, appreciate it!

 _ **Firlz,**_ OMG, I'm such an idiot when it comes to research on pitching baseballs. The only thing I was thinking at the time was for the dorm mate to be good at something but within possible human range, yet from what you've explained, that backfired terribly. Thanks for telling me, I'll go back to rewrite that mistake later.

 _ **SAVAGEGuest,**_ I have odd feelings when it comes to Mineta. Like, I didn't even mean to make him likeable at all, I just wrote him as the scared kid and reacting like a little beast when he saw someone about to assault the bodacious Yaoyorozu... so yeah. A couple people expressed to me that they're hoping that the change will make Mineta into a better person in the story. And you're right, Kuzan would have done that for anyone else, but there's also this thing about getting main cast members killed because of his presence (ex. Izuku), so he was really desperate in that moment to make sure everyone, _EVERYONE_ , made it out of that clusterfuck alive. Yes, Class 1-A is going to wreck the Sports Festival, that I can promise you.

 _ **Namikaze Uzumaki Potter,**_ This story is pretty good for binge reading apparently, and I sometimes like to take time in writing it down that people are pleased when they're gifted with another long chapter to lose themselves temporarily in. You should have seen the story when it was first starting out, I used to pump these chapters out almost a few times a month and people went crazy with excitement. I'm starting to lose steam now, but I'll still try to make it worth reading to keep the story interesting. Barring the fragile egos of flamers, a lot of people like it so far.

 ** _Leaning Leon,_** With Aizawa getting the prejudice bitch-slapped out of his head, we can finally work on getting some good ol' character development between him and Kuzan.

 ** _DarkFireCat5241999,_** To be honest, I've never watched Young Justice and I don't think I'm interested enough to do so. I just don't feel as pulled in to the fandom, like I'm literally clueless with Harry Potter/Katekyō Hitman Reborn/Death Note that I'm probably getting shocked looks from you on the other side of the screen. "Outsider" doesn't really ring well to my ears, but I'll try to keep an open mind on it.

 _ **Fat Future Cat,**_ Wow, haven't heard from you for awhile! Thanks for tuning back in with the rest of us losers! It was difficult at first to get the right emotions before typing down because I didn't understand how to convey it properly. I didn't want it to be the typical outburst of righteous anger like so many would do if they were leading up to the explosion between their character and Aizawa. It was more than the anger, it was about the helplessness, the fear, the whole trying to hold back your emotions because your head needed to be in the game.

I hinted a few moments where Kuzan wanted to break down, the main one being where he and Iida found Thirteen bleeding out. Uraraka had to ground him back, get him to calm down because Kuzan couldn't afford to lose it right there. So when it was over, when there was no more danger to be had, Kuzan wanted to deny it at first and tried to focus on his anger, but then All Might came along and the dam broke. I was inspired from a photo I once saw of a doctor breaking down outside of a hospital after they lost a patient. I wanted to make it right before posting the chapter, and according to a lot of people, I did a pretty okay job at it.

 ** _TRASHKIING,_** Gomu Hero? I guess... I'll keep looking around for more hero names.

 ** _Phantom Aficionado,_** The road to Aizawa reconciling with Kuzan and his family has officially begun. Get ready for some asshole!Kuzan content in the future.

 ** _Toushou-sama,_** You're totally right. You're only working out from the long ass fic that your eyes started to sweat, nothing more *pats shoulder*.

 ** _de junco,_** I cannot express the love I have for Dadmight and the intense feelings he brings by being there in the scene. Their dynamic is so perfect that I sometimes feel shocked on how well I write their chemistry down. In that chapter, I wanted All Might to drop his sunny disposition and just open himself raw when he had to deal with a distressed Kuzan, and I was really happy how it turned out. The parallels between Aizawa and Kuzan weren't quite how I wanted them to be, I think a majority of people looked at it wrong and didn't actually catch it, but maybe the future chapters and some side-stories in "Rubber Band Theory" will fix that issue. I really want those two to come together, but they still have issues (at least Kuzan does now), so it'll be awhile before they find common ground with each other.

 ** _invasionofprivacy,_** I was totally happy to finally shed some light on Aizawa as well. He's important to me, and as much as he gets a lot of shit for his actions in this story, I wanted to give everyone a perspective to the outsider point of view by the people who were effected by the fall-out and what it happened to them as they grew up in this new and scary era they were forced to live in. Imagine this is how a young Kakashi felt growing up during the Third Shinobi World War: losing friends, lots of death to go around, not enough supplies to keep them going, plenty of villains taking the opportunity to wreck shit up, and just a whole lot of bad shit for the nation.

 _ **errydaymPurple,**_ At first I was writing it down because I wanted to add words, but then the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me. There was bound to be heroes who have heightened senses or sensitive psychic abilities, and they probably sometimes get overwhelmed enough they end up with something like a panic attack. The only way to bring them back from their sensory overload is to give them something they associate with safety and home. All Might's been working a lot around other heroes, I figure, so he must know how to react. He's confident that he's familiar with Kuzan, so he didn't hesitate to use himself as a safe space for Kuzan to allow the boy a chance to bring himself back.

 ** _Musical Bear,_** Yes, here comes mama Grete!

 _ **redskin122004,**_ Thanks, I'll try to focus more on this story. And hey, have you seen my other story yet? There's a chapter dedicated for you just like I promised! ;)

 _ **Raphaim,**_ Heavy ass shit is my middle name, bruh!

 _ **zharshoul,**_ That's probably what I get for wrecking your feels from the last chapter, huh?

 _ **PoisonPen37,**_ Intense, emotional, and maybe some bit of catharsis thrown in for good measure, I'm glad I succeeded.

 _ **ReadingnerdOtaku,**_ We're all an emotional mess. Let's join a club, lol.

 _ **suntan140,**_ Again, we feel you in your hate for Aksel Gunnarsen.

 _ **AaronCole,**_ Binge watching so long that your sleep schedule has been fucked up?! I don't know whether to feel sorry or feel flattered that the story has become such an impact on you! Well, you've caught up to the rest of my horde of followers, so you'll be able to sleep easy knowing that the waiting period will take some time until the next chapter comes along.

 _ **AMinorGlitch,**_ I think that, in my opinion at least, is by far the most emotional chapter I've ever written. It took quite awhile, but I was eventually able to bring out the words to life in a way that a lot of people can comprehend just how raw that moment was.

 _ **PatAberu,**_ Yes, it was kind of hard to write that. Like, I was thinking about making him break down in a more private setting, but then I thought that would be kind of unrealistic, and there was All Might, his kind of emotional support that he trusts completely, so yeah, waterworks were shed.

 _ **LordofTee,**_ It's one big twisted circle for Aizawa, life is malicious in dishing out ironies to slap the poor guy in the face with.

 _ **Celeste Snow,**_ It's gonna take awhile for any sort of relationship to happen between Aizawa and Kuzan, but if you stick around, it'll eventually happen. And I agree with the whole OP character just solving shit with brute strength. I want to build it up, I want to create a road towards the destination of power, I don't want it there at the snap of my finger, that's plain boring and lazy writing to be honest. And All Might is great to write, but I guess the only reason why others don't put in a lot of depth is because they probably don't like him all that much or he's not someone to be deeply focused on in their story.

 _ **Huh,**_... Yes *slowly nods head*, I'm pretty positive Yule's been around far longer than Christianity and Christianity was inspired to create a holiday by naming it as the day Christ was born and therefore Christmas. And that's why Yule and Christmas are majority of the time compared to one another.

 ** _HamClad,_** It's painful to write Aizawa as another sheep in the mob, but yes, it would make sense. Not everyone is going to be nice or understanding to Kuzan, kids were brought up with their parents beliefs and the adults like Aizawa, Present Mic, Midnight, Vlad, and other teachers had seen some pretty awful shit over the years when their nation was abandoned from the support companies keeping them safe and supplied to deal with both disasters and dangerous villains. Had things been different, life been kinder, the two of them would have gotten along like a house on fire.

 _ **kaylabear1,**_ They all went through something scary, but everyone's gonna come out different and better than before. And in this chapter we get to see the aftermath of the USJ incident properly since last chapter was more like a selfish indulgence and an insight to Aizawa.

 ** _XxlaniidaexX,_** There's gonna be a day where I'm going to create a playlist for Kuzan (some songs will probably have a few lyrics tweaked up to match the message it conveys), and it's going to be some good songs, too! Believe it!

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter II: Part X**

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* * *

 _His coughs were getting worse._

 _A violent shudder racked his smaller frame, a coughing fit that sounded wet, sticky, and painful because it rattled the ribs and burned both your chest and throat from the effort. Sometimes, I would look for something like a bloody blotch of saliva clinging at the corner of his lips because his coughing was just intense enough to scratch at his throat hard enough to make it bleed. The idea made me feel afraid, but the worry was squashed down when his head tilted back to look up at me._

 _I smiled at him._

 _Izuku smiled back._

 _In a few short minutes, we made it to the shabby convenience store waiting around the corner of the street block. The blaring fluorescent lights stung my eyes, but I ignored it and focused on quickly browsing the small aisles for some food, water, and whatever medicine they had to help Izuku get better with his illness. There wasn't much the store had to offer, but it would have to do._

 _A prickling sensation blossomed at the back of my neck._

 _It still bothered me, even after years of going through with the same motions of being regarded as a menace to society, I still felt exposed when their eyes tracked me like a hawk tracking prey. It took everything in me not to show how uncomfortable I was; if you ever showed someone a soft spot, they wouldn't hesitate to bring a knife and dig it deep in your most vulnerable places where it hurt the most. Lifting my head up, I tilted my head enough to look over my shoulder to see who was gawking at me._

 _The store owner looked at me as though I was a ticking time bomb about to explode in his face. He tracked the movement of my hands, probably checking his wares and how much was going into the basket while also checking for any bulging pockets. I couldn't see his hands, both the limbs hidden behind the counter._

 _I didn't want to imagine what he was hiding beneath the counter._

 _Quickly grabbing the last item off the somewhat barren food stall, I looked for the familiar mop of green curls that wandered away from my side. Not even a second later, I spotted Izuku standing in front of a small book stall._

 _With a couple of strides, I reached him and looked over his shoulder._

 _"Remember this?" he grinned at me as he held up the paperback._

 _"It's the manga we used to read." I said as I inspected it. "It's kind of corny."_

 _"But it's pretty good. I love it." Izuku said, holding the manga defensively to his chest._

 _"Yeah, whatever," I smirked. "You're such a nerd."_

 _"Shut up."_

 _I looked at the manga in his hands. "... You want it?"_

 _"Uh, no, that's okay—"_

 _"It's cool." I reassured him. "I got enough money to splurge."_

 _Izuku tried to protest, but he was drowned out the by store owner who gruffly demanded, "Get what you want and get out of my store!"_

 _I threw the older man a scathing glare, ready to give him a piece of my mind regardless of the danger it would put me in, but a hand on my arm made me clench my jaw. Wordlessly, I grabbed the manga from Izuku's hand and tossed it inside the basket._

 _"Wait outside." I ordered the smaller teen. "I got this."_

 _Again, Izuku looked like he was going to protest, but another coughing fit erupted from him and I gently pushed him towards the entrance of the store before making my way to the cash register where the owner was waiting. We eyed each other distrustfully, his bright eyes brimming with silent accusation whilst mine brewed from old anger. I was thankful that he was at least quick enough to get the items scanned so we both could hear our separate ways._

 _I paused at the price staring back at me from the screen._

 _"What the hell?" I demanded as I turned my narrowed eyes at him. "This stuff ain't worth THAT much."_

 _"My store, my rules."_

 _"Bullshit." I grounded out. "Trying to swindle good people out of their hard earned money!"_

 _"Then you can fuck on right off,_ freak."

 _My face must have become something gruesome because the store owner was leaning away from the counter, his eyes now full of anxiousness, and his arms drifting back behind the counter where he was still hiding something I hoped he really wasn't hiding. But even with the threat, I wondered if maybe I could move quickly enough to get him before he reached whatever he thought would save him from me, I wondered if I could_ _—_

 _A loud cough made me blink out of my murderous stare down at the nervous store owner._

 _Eyes glancing towards the window of the store, I eyed the green-haired boy who was looking down the street while rubbing at his arms. Small flecks of white were beginning to fall, slow and soft, snow drifting over the city as a sign to prepare for the coming frost. Day was already getting dark, and the street lamps outside were starting to come alive._

 _The last thing Izuku needed was more trouble._

 _With a heavy scowl on my face, I grumbled in handing over the ridiculous amount of money owed to the nervous store owner. However, before I disappeared out of the store, I gave the old man one last evil glare that hoped he would die alone, broke, and forgotten by society until somebody complained about the smell of his rotting corpse where'd they find it curled up in a tiny broom closet or something._

 _The frost invaded my lungs as I breathed._

 _Izuku looked up, eyes bright as he met my own._

 _I smiled as I held out the manga for him to take._

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Not too suddenly, I woke up.

At first, I just stared at the ceiling of the room, waiting for some sort of panic to come and swoop into my chest... yet nothing of the sort happened. I took my lack of reaction as a somewhat good sign.

It beat waking up in cold sweat and short breaths.

Waking up in a hospital room, I started to realize, was beginning to look like a bad habit that needed to die. A glance to the side and I found a few monitor machines and the typical I.V. bags attached to the vein in my arm (I was relieved to find no one having removed the black armband). Rolling the muscles of my arms and legs, I finally moved to sit up from the bed.

So far, nothing seemed to hurt, but that didn't mean I would try my luck or anything. Looking down at myself, I was dressed in a blank gray T-shirt and dark shorts.

Slowly, like trickling water from a faucet that hadn't been closed shut or opened properly, the memories resurfaced.

The attack inside the USJ facility, everyone being separated, Iida and me running around fighting villains and finding classmates... Thirteen bleeding out and Yaoyorozu struck down by the Nōmu.

 _'They're okay,'_ I reminded myself. _'All Might said they were okay.'_

My attention then fell on my shoulder at the reminder of the fight between myself and the giant Nōmu. Even without poking or prodding at the area, I could feel some sort of tinge of pain, a phantom sensation of the open wound left behind by the beast after its jaws of shark-like teeth clamped down and dug deep. I could still smell my blood, feel the splashes of red against my cheek after I had managed to pry the monster off my back.

I was reminded of the old nature documentaries I used to watch, prey being eaten alive as the predators chomped, pulled, and ripped the meat off them until they finally died from being devoured.

 _'Jesus,'_ I thought. _'That could have been me.'_

Still, I eyed my shoulder.

 _'... Just a peek.'_

With great trepidation, I carefully reached for the collar of my shirt and slowly pulled it back until the fabric stretched far enough for me to properly look and inspect the damage left behind.

A massive scar stared back at me.

It was a mess of red skin that stood out from the rest of my complexion, almost oval in shape but the edges too sharp and twisted from where the Nōmu's teeth had bit down and forcefully ripped the skin and meat out. Another shudder echoed up and down my spine.

My poor stomach seemed to churn in disagreement with the memory as well, coiling around then locking itself in protest. A wave of nausea followed and I wondered if should head towards the bathroom in case I really needed to puke my guts out. I didn't want to think about eating right now. I pulled the covers of the bed sheets off my legs, prepared to make a run for the toilet.

 _'Just breathe, man,'_ I tell myself. _'Breathe.'_

Inhale—instead of the disease and cleanliness coming to greet your nose, it was nature that spent time being cared under cool water and warm sunshine. Aromas pleasant and natural floating about lazily around the room, chasing away unwelcome odors waiting outside the door of your room—Exhale.

Eyes snapping open, I looked to find the source of the smell.

Near the far corner next to the entrance of the hospital room, there was a table that held a variety of flowers. There was so many of them, but I could only recognize a handful of them thanks to my bishōnen teacher from junior high, Tenjikubotan-sensei.

Not to anyone's surprise, the man was a fan of things like ikebana (the traditional flower arranging stuff) and hanakotoba (flower language). Some of the kids got interested when the teacher showed off a variety of other poisonous flowers he collected in his journals, and they liked it so much that they ended up making a club out of it. Clubs had been pretty much non-existent before Jakku was reformed, so a lot of kids were a bit out of loop on club activities. Thankfully, a lot of the teachers were more than happy to put something interesting if it meant less and less fights in school between students.

Anyway, it was during a free period in Tenjikubotan-sensei's class that as student shyly asked the man if he could help him in picking which flowers he wanted to give to a relative who was waiting for an upcoming surgery. Out of curiosity, I watched as the teacher helped the kid by naming some flowers and the meanings behind them, informing the student how flowers could offer support before the surgery of afterwards.

Observing the flora some more, I was able to recognize several.

Bright daffodils (respect), blushing peonies (bravery), drooping bluebells (gratefulness), pink gladiolus and snapdragons (strength), blue irises (loyalty), immaculate and royal heathers (protection and admiration), and lastly, the one single flower standing above the colorful bunch in all its radiant glory, a sunflower (happiness).

I took in the assorted gifts sitting on the table for a long while.

"Huh."

It was then that another thought occurred to me: who left me some flowers?

Mom and dad weren't the flowery type, in fact they were more like the people who would bring me something good to eat because everybody knew hospital food was crap. Taishirō was the same as well, but he would sneak a movie or handheld game console for me to occupy the time until I was discharged.

All Might however, that was a guy I could easily believe would pull something like this off. I could only be thankful he didn't go overboard, leaving the entire room to be covered in every inch of all kinds of flowers. The biggest clue that made me automatically point a finger in his direction was the tall and lonely sunflower which stood out from the rest of the flora. I sometimes teasingly referred to the older man as the sunflower man because of his sometimes bright character and also because of his appearance whenever he wasn't walking around in his buffed form.

However, there was something about the rest of the flowers that still made me hesitate to think that this was all the Pro hero's doing.

Putting my sensitive nose to good use, I concentrated on infiltrating past the various perfumes to try to get a hint of whom the flowers originated from. Because I needed to my nose to really get everything, I had to dull my other senses like my sharp eyesight, keen taste, and tuned hearing which made my tracking abilities all the more powerful.

After a few long seconds of investigating, I was able to determine the culprit behind the gifts—or rather, culprit _s_.

Uraraka, Iida, Asui, Ojiro, Satō, Kirishima, Shōji, Kaminari, Kōta, Sero, Ashido, and Jirō.

"... the hell?" I mumbled to myself.

Uraraka and Iida I could understand, but everyone else? I eyed the flowers dubiously.

Was this done out of politeness? Perhaps they saw All Might or Uraraka and Iida shopping for flowers and felt inclined to join because it seemed like the good guy thing to do? Or maybe they felt indebted to me because of what happened inside the death trap facility we walked into... which was ridiculous because it was _Yaoyorozu_ who ultimately saved the day by alerting the teachers with her emergency smoke bombs.

Speaking of which, I wondered how Yaoyorozu and Thirteen were doing.

Recovery Girl managed to heal the missing pieces of my shoulder (not to mention the gashes I gained after using up One for All), but the medic lady from before said that the old woman wasn't able to recover the blood I lost. Yaoyorozu mostly suffered from internal damage from when the Nōmu struck her, but there was a high chance that after Recovery Girl's treatment, the tall girl would make it out okay. As for Thirteen, I winced, I wasn't so confident.

Thirteen lost not only blood, but pieces of themselves after being attacked by villains with aquatic predator-type quirks; not only that, the Space Hero was also moments away from death's door, barely clinging onto consciousness to give instructions to the others when trying to help Yaoyorozu. The elderly doctor constantly reminded people that even though she had the power to heal people, she also had the power to simultaneously _kill_ them as well. The injured had to have at least enough energy to withstand the healing period or otherwise be faced with the consequences of falling into a coma or outright dying from exhaustion!

After all, there was a reason why the old lady was unable to save All Might's left side.

Out of nowhere, a yawn intruded upon my dark thoughts. Shaking my head, I lazily blinked my eyes then looked for a clock to give me a reference for the time. The room didn't have any windows (I was somewhere in the inner parts of the hospital), and I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone yet.

I could only imagine a few certain people forcing their way through the door so they could throw questions while demand answers in the same breath. So yeah, I really wasn't in a hurry to inform the rest of the hospital that I was awake.

I spotted a clock on a nearby wall.

 _'23:47.'_

Did I sleep the whole day away?

Another yawn threatened to emerge from my mouth again.

It was better to deal with whatever happened tomorrow morning after I was truly well rested. Getting back to a comfortable position on the mattress, I didn't bother to pull the cover sheets all the way since the room fell in a comfortable space between cool and warm. Once on my back, my head leaned a little on the one side where there was still dozens of flowers staring back at me.

It didn't take long for me to drift back into sleep.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Hey, sleepy head. I saw yer eyes roll around under the lids. You awake?"

Grilled street food and familial blood. Taishirō.

"I am now," I grumbled as I came to. Occupying a ridiculously small chair was my cousin. "Tai, what are you doing here? Aren't you suppose to be in Esuha?"

The blond wasn't dressed in his usual bright costume, nor was he in his much robust form. A lot of people didn't recognize Taishirō when he was walking around the streets in his much lankier form which did wonders to further help hide his association with our family. Dad felt plenty guilty for putting mom and I through so much hardship which was why he told our cousin not to say anything about us being related to one another or it would deeply affect his career as a Pro hero. As expected, Taishirō wasn't happy with the arrangement of sneaking around like a criminal, but dad convinced him to do it if not himself then for his baby cousin.

"Where's dad?"

"He's still working back in Osaka."

Translation: dad's superiors weren't going to allow the detective temporary leave in order to see how his hospitalized son was holding up, and it was for this reason why my cousin was allowed to go because he was a Pro hero, therefore they had no authority over him; besides, Taishirō had taken plenty of classes on law enforcement when he had been a university student (it wasn't a mandatory requirement, but the knowledge of how the justice system worked did benefit plenty of heroes in their endeavor to uphold the peace), and he worked closely enough with dad for a number of years to know the routine of interrogations and interviews.

"Yer ma ain' here either." Taishirō said. "We're at a different general hospital, that's why she ain' here with ya right now."

 _'Well, shit,'_ I bit my lip. _'She's probably on a warpath right about now.'_

"Yeah," the blond nodded his head, already knowing what I was thinking. "She lost her shit over the phone when she called us. Said she couldn't find ya at home when she got back from work and couldn' reach ya through the calls and text messages. She had to learn what happened from one o' the nurses at the hospital."

"Well, shit." I mumbled out loud, feeling all kind of horrified on mom's behalf.

"Ya know how it goes."

Unfortunately, I did.

"Are they here?" I asked, my tone subdued at the thought of facing a certain unpleasant group.

"Genbu." Taishirō revealed, treating it like a distasteful flavor he was going to spit out. "He's talking to a detective right now."

Taishirō and I exchanged meaningful looks, knowing that if we didn't hurry in getting the story sorted out, somebody was going to walk in through the door and demand more than what I could give. Last time I checked, practically everyone in my class was interviewed by the police, but I could understand why they felt the need to cover every crack and crevice if they truly wanted to cover the ground on the who's, how's and why's... which felt pointless because the villains made their goals obvious from the start: to slaughter everyone and kill the Symbol of Peace.

"Let's just get it over with." I mumbled.

The older man pulled out a recorder, something to later hand to the police for record evidence and in case they wanted to come back and question me further. Once the red light came on the recorder, Fat Gum began his interrogation.

"Tell me what happened. Start from the beginning."

"It started around early noon during lunch break at school, there was this alarm and..."

Once I opened my mouth, it was like everything came spilling out. I explained to him the sudden terrible ominous feelings that stuck with me after the press broke through the front gates and invaded the school's premises, I told him about how distracted I was throughout the rest of the class period, and I added how skittish and anxious I became when Aizawa led everyone to the the USJ facility—situated far away from the main campus building.

There was an odd look on the hero's face.

"Sir?" I prompted him.

"Can you explain your Sentinel quirk to me again?"

He knew my powers intimately for pretty much over a decade, but knowing that this recording was going to be taken to the police, I followed along.

"My quirk Sentinel allows for all five of my senses to become more enhanced than the average person. It also allows for me to dull my senses if I so wish, and I could even heighten a couple of them in exchange for dulling the others."

"And you said you've _felt_ the danger after the incident where the press entered the school's front gates?"

"Yes sir."

At the time, I couldn't tell if it was memories from back then or something else that just knew something bad was about to transpire. Taishirō looked like he was going to ask for more details, but decided against it when he realized he didn't have the time to go through every little detail when something in my story stuck out. Time was of the essence and it wouldn't be long before the dumbass lizard would be walking through the door alongside the detective that wanted to meet with me.

"Tell me what happened after you and the rest of your classmates stepped off the bus."

I told him about the awful feeling I felt when I stood outside the giant training establishment, unable to concentrate on Thirteen's presentation because I was too lost in the hyper awareness that something bad was about to come down upon us all. It was only after I stepped inside the building that it all made sense: we walked into a trap.

There was a pregnant pause.

I told him how Aizawa brushed off my concerns when I tried to warn him and Thirteen, the ink-haired teacher believing I was merely causing a disturbance in the middle of class over some so-called disturbance only I seemed to notice. I told my cousin how I failed miserably and was seconds away from throwing my hands at Aizawa when the villains finally made their appearance.

I told him about the warp villain who brought to life hordes of murderers.

I told him about the pale-haired man with the multiple hands attached to his face, arms, and shoulders.

I told him about the abominable Nōmu.

... I told him about Aizawa leaving everyone wide open for an attack with Thirteen, a non-combatant rescue hero, as our only means of defense against the enemies.

The Pro hero reached for the recorder and turned it off, and then he stood up to his full height and stalked around the room. The grilled street food he often permeated turned into something what I could describe as burnt grease, all old and nasty.

"I broke his face when I woke up." I said.

The blond let out an abrupt humorless laugh. "Yeah, I know. Saw it on the news, too!"

Another pause filled the room, the two of us going still as we stared at one another. Brows furrowed in confusion, I gave the older man a look that demanded to know on how the hell he knew that? The school couldn't have told them because Taishirō just told me how they only heard about what happened through the news and from close acquaintances. Taishirō let out a heavy sigh, reaching up to pinch the area right above the bridge of his nose and the space between his eyes.

"The emergency smoke caught a lotta people's attention, bro. Guess who else came runnin' 'sides the heroes and police?"

After I came to outside of the USJ facility, I was disorientated and a bit dazed of the situation. It was only after looking around that I remembered what happened—most specifically, what happened to Yaoyorozu and Thirteen. Seeing the glaring absence, and barely getting any information from the medic, the worst conclusions came crawling up on me. Panic started to set in, the horrible encompassing guilt of not having done enough to prevent such a tragedy, and just as I was moments of away from having a mental breakdown... Aizawa came between my crosshairs.

Then suddenly the horror became anger, the self-loathing became hate, and the guilt shifted into blame.

Because as much as I hated myself for not doing enough, for not pressing the issue harder, for not acting sooner, my hatred for Aizawa was much more overwhelming.

That stupid man played the biggest factor in why everyone got caught up with that mess inside the USJ. He was the reason why Yaoyorozu and Thirteen hadn't made it, he was the reason why that warp villain got us, _he_ was the reason why all the kids got dragged along for the hellish ride.

So when I forced myself up on my two feet, removed the tubes of my blood bags, I wasn't thinking on anything else but getting back at the bastard. I didn't care if I ended up getting pinned with assault charges, I didn't care if this would put a stain on my image ( _hah_ , what image?), nor did I care about the repercussions that would lead to my expulsion from the school, those issues to me were so insignificant compared to the emptiness I felt in my chest.

I wanted to forget pain and instead create more by inflicting it on the person who deserved it the most.

In my approach, I was coherent enough to ask if Aizawa was in fit condition (because believe or not, I wanted to beat the shit out of him when he was at his best), and once somebody confirmed it for me—I swung at him.

A lot of people saw what I did that day.

Including the press who probably hovered above the area in their helicopters, cameras zooming in and taking pictures and faces of the people gathered there. Every second, every action, all of it recorded and distributed to the public.

I could already see the headlines: the Gunnarsen Bastard attacking a highly-respected teacher of the prestigious U.A. High School.

And yet...

"I don't regret it." I said.

I felt his eyes on me, and I looked up to meet them head on.

"I don't regret giving that asshole what he deserved."

Slowly, the blond nodded his head.

"I know, Kuzan."

Loud chatter from outside the door caught my attention, and I zeroed in on the door while Taishirō muttered a curse under his breath. A second later, the door swung open and I scowled when Genbu stepped inside. Behind the lizard prick was a plain-looking man wearing a trench coat.

"Glad to see you're finally awake." Genbu condescendingly snapped. "Now that you got your beauty sleep, mind answering some questions for us?"

It took everything in me to hold back the growl that threatened to rumble deep from my chest. "Sure."

"Captain Genbu," the other man stepped around the lizard which allowed me to get a good look at him. He looked average and unnoticeable, someone I couldn't written off any other day, but now that he had my attention... "I'm sure you have more important priorities to oversee during the investigation—"

The guy had only met Genby and already he was trying to get the lizard man to fuck off as politely as he could. I couldn't fault the man, Genbu wasn't exactly polite company to keep around.

"Don't worry that pretty head of yours, Tsukauchi. I already got my officers spread out and working by the hour to get everything sorted so we can get a full story." Genbu waspishly talked over the detective. The lizard turned towards my cousin. "Besides, I have someone already doing the questioning. Your presence, while appreciated, isn't necessary."

Not wanting to witness an argument break out, no matter how one-sided it appeared to be, I decided to butt my head in.

"Uh, detective?"

"Hello," the detective straightened up. "I'm Tsukauchi Naomasa. I came here to ask you a few questions about what happened at the training facility."

"Which we were getting to." Genbu interjected from the background, but everyone pretended that he wasn't actually with us and had been yeeted off into the shadow realm.

I gave him a wary once over. "Why is there a detective from another district taking interest in this?"

He was obviously not one of our own. The guy was too bland-looking, his noir outfit made him stand out a bit from the rest of the officers I came across, and his scent of twenty-four hour diner restaurants did nothing to help his case. So why, I wondered, was there a stranger taking interest in me? If he was brought aboard as a consultant, he could have easily waited for some low-ranking officer to do the job for him and waited until the full report came in. It's what any other higher up in his position would have done... but instead, he was here. Meeting me. The more than usual ruffled police captain held a grimace that said he too had been caught off guard by the unexpected visit.

My guard went up from zero to eleven in an instant.

There was a touch of surprise gleaming from his obsidian eyes, a small smile blossoming on his previously blank face. "Very astute of you, Sengoku-kun."

Again, Genbu scoffed in the background. _Again_ , he was ignored.

"Do you mind if I take over?" the detective asked, looking towards my cousin. "Officer...?"

"Of course." Taishirō acquiesced, wisely not giving away his name while making sure to keep his head low enough for the dark hoodie he was wearing to keep his profile obscured by the detective. "We were just going over what happened in the beginning. Here's a recorder if you'd like to review it."

His careful speech and lack of Kansai dialect pretty much confirmed to me that Taishirō was familiar with this detective Tsukauchi. My cousin never really bothered with hiding his background unless he was being careful around certain people who could easily trace back his origins. Hopefully, the detective would dismiss him as another brute squad enforcer working for the local police department.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." I watched the detective take the offered recorder from the hooded man's large hands.

Beyond them, I could tell Genbu was going to kick up another fuss. Fortunately, the idiot didn't get to say anything because I caught the scent of lavender and fresh earthly moss followed by furious clicking high heels rapidly approaching our room. Not a few seconds later, the door burst open and mom barreled inside. The other men in the room were surprised by her unexpected entrance, and while Tskuauchi and my cousin calmed down once they realized who she was, Genbu's lips twisted at the sight of her.

"Don't go getting all hysterical on us, Gunnar—"

Hanging on one side of her arm, she looked to be carrying what smelled like a home cooked meal, and on the other side was a freshly brewed styrofoam cup of coffee. I never liked coffee, but mom and dad were in love with the stuff. They were like vampires who obsessed and hungered over it because their life would be meaningless without coffee to guide them at the end of the bright tunnel.

However, in that moment, mom didn't hesitate to the chuck her hot coffee on the front of Genbu's dress shirt.

The police captain released a high pitched yelp, his words gone and replaced with surprise and pain.

"Oops," mom chirped, sounding apologetic when she was anything but. "I did not see you there."

"The hell you didn't—!" Genbu began to hiss, but he was instantly cut off when mom snatched him by the lapels of his ruined suit. "H-hey!"

She dragged the squirming lizard closer to the door, and Taishirō didn't hesitate to reach out and open the door for her. With a sweet smile pointed at the taller man, she pushed the police captain out of the room completely. The lizard looked about ready to explode in her face, spewing all sorts of ugly abuse like he always did whenever because it seemed easier for him to take out his frustrations on her, but mom beats him to the punch before the garbage could come pouring out of his stupid mouth.

"You best hurry and try to save that _lovely_ dress shirt of yours, otherwise that stain might become permanent. Besides, I'd be pretty embarrassed to be seen walking around wearing that if I was in the middle of a job, don't you think?"

Taishirō took the opportunity to slip out of the room (and away from Tsukauchi), ducking his head to keep himself from bumping against the doorframe while using his bigger frame to push the captain further out the door. Despite his angry sputtering, mom gave the police captain a saccharine smile while slamming the door closed with an air of finality behind the action.

Detective Tsukauchi looked both dumbstruck and completely at awe towards my mom. Not only did she walk inside and take charge, and not only did she shut the police captain down before he could even begin his little tirade, she fucking humiliated him in front of the peanut gallery who had the pleasure to bear witness to it.

And damn, did she look cool doing it.

Turning away from the door, she closed the gap between us and Tsukauchi was wise to step out of the way lest he incur the wrath of the mother bear on himself. Setting aside the plastic bag she was carrying to the nearby nightstand, I released a sigh as her arms wrapped themselves tightly around my waist. I leaned against her shoulder, taking in her scent while running a hand down her shoulder blade.

"I'm was so scared, Kuzan." mom spoke in her native tongue. "When you weren't home, when I called you hundreds of times, I thought—"

"Sorry," was all I had to offer. "I would've called but my phone got destroyed."

Crashing through concrete rubble would do that to phones.

I couldn't begin to imagine how terrifying that must've been for my folks. Mom arriving to a dark house with no signs of it being recently inhabited to show that someone did come by. Her phone calls and texts going on unanswered when she tried to contact me, her calm gradually tearing itself away as the sinking feeling of something disastrous having happened to her only child beginning to torture her heart. The devastation she felt when she finally got word, when someone finally informed her of the incident which took place at the high school I attended, children and teachers attacked and nearly killed by the villains...

I could not even begin to imagine.

Seeing the incredibly awkward detective pointedly keeping his face turned away from mine and mom's intimate moment, I slowly pulled away from her while giving a subtle nod towards the man so mom could ease up.

"Detective." I called.

"Ah!" the man jumped, no longer looking blank-faced but a bit flustered. "I'm sorry to intrude, it's just your son and I were..."

He made a gesture towards me and mom, after giving the detective a scrutinizing look, backed away so that we could pick up where my cousin left. She made no move for the door to give us privacy, not that Tsukauchi was going to ask her to leave because the man seemed smart enough not to get between a fiercely protective mother and her child. The doctor made herself busy by preparing the small meal she brought with her while the detective moved the process along.

The recorder Taishirō left behind was played, and everyone listened intently as I relayed the story with my cousin sometimes asking for clarifications on some things that stuck out to him. A few minutes into the recording, Tsukauchi and mom gave me bizarre looks that matched Taishirō's when I told him about the bad vibes I got.

Tsukauchi paused the recorder.

"You said you sensed the danger before it happened?"

"Yes sir." I replied. "It's like... something more than gut instinct. It felt deeper than a guess... like I _knew_ it was going to happen before it happened."

The two adults exchanged looks.

"Doctor?"

"This is news for me, too. My son's quirk is much more sensitive than my own, and he can't seem to shut it off completely like I can..." mom tapped her chin in contemplation.

Detective Tsukauchi hummed for a moment until something sparked in his eyes.

"Your mother is Agnete Gunnarsen, yes?"

" _Jaeger_ , detective," mom corrected Tsukauchi. Her voice became cool as a frozen wasteland when she spoke. "Her name is Agnete _Jaeger_. She wants nothing to do with _his_ name."

"My apologies, doctor." Tsukauchi cleared his throat. "From what I remember, it is her family which you've inherited the Sentinel quirk from."

"My sisters and I are the fifth generation to have the Sentinel quirk. Everyone knows that with each new generation, the quirk gene becomes stronger and enhanced than the previous. Aksel is a second generation who has a psychic type quirk," mom paused, hesitating briefly as she gave me a cursory glance before returning to the detective. "There was an older brother of mine, from Aksel's first marriage. He inherited the psychic quirk from Aksel. After his passing, the only one in our family to have the psychic gene is our younger half-sister, Trine."

Genetics was not my biggest forte, but I was able to understand bits and pieces from what mom was talking about to Tsukauchi. Because grandma was a fourth generation and the old man was of the second generation, their children had a higher chance of inheriting their mother's quirk than their father's. And over the course of their years growing up, mom, Vigrid, and Sissel hadn't gotten anything remotely paranormal. Yet, even with the genes skipping mom's generation, they might have stayed dormant... until now.

"What is your father's quirk, by the way?"

Mom frowned. "His quirk is _projection_. He can make you see things or force strong emotions on the individual, nothing like mind control... but it's something you barely have any choice but to endure it. If he doesn't like you, he'll make damn sure that you know it."

Mom's eyes flickered towards me.

 _A blood red sky, vultures circling 'round and 'round until they swooped in._

"Your brother and sister?"

"My sister calls her quirk _token_ ; she can sort of perceive small bits of information when she makes contact with things," mom explained to the detective. "My brother's quirk, he was able to, um..."

Mom trailed off, eyes glazing over as she was both trapped in a memory only she could see while also hesitating to share something intimate of her dead brother. It was the same look dad had when I brought up my uncle's name (and never brought up again when I realized how uncomfortable it made him).

The detective coughed, causing mom to break out of her stupor. "Sorry, doctor. How about I come back later? Sengoku-kun must be hungry."

My stomach grumbled to life, agreeing with Tsukauchi's assessment. The adults shared amused glances with each other as I flushed red with embarrassment. With a polite nod goodbye, the detective stepped out and left my mom and I to our own devices.

"Oh."

I glanced up to find her staring at the cluster of flowers on the table across from my bed.

"Oh yeah," I mumbled lamely to her. "I got flowers."

"I can see that," she made her way towards the pile, inhaling the flora perfume. " _Mmm_. These are lovely, darling."

"... You think you can take the flowers home with you?" I asked.

Her face became gobsmacked, eyes wide as saucers as she looked at me from over her shoulders. " _Really_?"

I shrugged.

"Just thought it'd make for a nice garden... or something..."

I mostly wanted to keep the sunflower. As for the others, I probably would have thrown most of them out, but something made me hesitate to consider following through with the idea. I mostly chalked it up to being unable to find out which gifts came from who because it would have been kind of a dick move to throw away Uraraka and Iida's flowers since they weren't assholes. So really, I had no other choice but to take the whole flora arrangement with me.

Really.

Mom smiled. "I guess our tiny backyard could use a little more decoration beside the usual weed and vines."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

It didn't take Tsukauchi long to get the full story from me; my information became a gold mine to the detective regarding the two main villains who led the assault as I was able to detect heavy traces of alcohol in their scent which meant they were hidden away inside some club or secluded bar riddled with all kinds of drinks. This helped narrow the search by a margin, but it was enough that police all over had their eyes peeled for suspicious-looking pubs radiating with villainous activity.

Despite the calm and professional manner he treated me and my mother with, there was just something about this blank-looking man that made me side-eye him. I still struggled to decide if I was being paranoid or if there was something my memories were trying to tell me about this mysterious detective who butted in on my interview with the police. Besides that, I had a new problem to worry about.

Because of my vague knowledge about the attack, investigators and heroes alike were going to bring my quirk up for questioning because of how ambiguous the whole thing was. Without understanding the true nature of how my quirk functioned, people were going to make assumptions.

Assumptions, the detective said, which could paint me as a suspect of the investigation.

"Awesome." I sarcastically retorted.

"Don't worry, you've got plenty of people vouching for your innocence," Tsukauchi reassured me. "Besides, I got a trump card that will shut down any accusations thrown against you."

When given a look that prompted him to explain what he meant, the detective merely smiled and made himself scarce when my mom came around to check up on me.

Outside the investigation, there was a storm brewing.

People, both on social media and every news network, demanded information about what happened inside the training facility. More than that, they wanted to know how many students lost their lives that day (so they could hurry to the home addresses to harass the grieving families for some high rates on their respective news coverage). Following that, they would throw in the age old question on how exactly was the faculty going to improve their school's security while ensuring their students were well protected.

To ease the concerns of the people, an official press conference was broadcasted live to finally address what had been on everyone's mind. A couple of days after the incident, Principal Nedzu stepped up to the podium, gave the viewers and those present to the flashing room a polite bow, and made his announcement.

All twenty students, including their teachers, were alive and making full recovery of their respective injuries. The school was currently locked down after it was discovered that they had been infiltrated by the villains during the whole uproar when the press entered the school's campus, but with how well things were turning out, it wouldn't be long when everyone would be able to resume classes.

At first, there was skepticism.

The only reason why a person would be alive was because they either got permanently injured or they called it quits. Yet with no signs of dead students popping up in social media, or families stepping up to angrily retort otherwise, their theories were dying out real fast.

Next, people questioned how a group full of children and two teachers were able to hold off against an entire army of villains that weren't amateurs when it came to attacking students from the hero schools.

All eyes turned towards their savior, the Symbol of Peace. It was an easy conclusion everyone jumped to, the man worked as part of the U.A. staff, so surely he was able to respond quickly enough and come to the students and teacher's aid. However, the principal was quick to debunk that notion when he brought up the time frame and schedule between class and All Might's commute to the school. Surely no one had forgotten that he had been delayed three hours, too busy snatching up thieves and rescuing hostages from violent villains? Surely the people remembered how All Might was resolving one incident after another before finally arriving at the doorstep of the school?

Which meant no one knew what was happening until they all spotted the red emergency smoke billowing through the broken portion of the roof from the training facility across the main school campus—an area, the principal repeated, that had been cut off entirely to prevent any sort of communication from reaching the rest of the school staff. The teachers who had been there, Thirteen and Eraserhead, confirmed that they had no means to notify their peers of the situation.

This meant the students were the ones who had to notify the school.

This meant the students, beside their teachers, were left alone to deal with the assault.

This meant a bunch of _children_ were fighting furiously for their lives while working quickly to call for outside help.

All this happening under everyone's noses until a giant red plume of smoke made itself known.

Like a time bomb going off, the public exploded.

The word spread across the nation like a wildfire. Hashtags were tossed around the internet forums and blogs, video channels dedicated to getting the right from their reliable resources for any computer hermit became popular overnight, and anchormen and women were repeating the same thing as if it were the only mantra that could get them up in the morning:

A miracle.

Young students who went to U.A. in the hopes of becoming the heroes of tomorrow, not only survived the assault, but worked together to fight back against the evil long enough until the real heroes arrived in the nick of time.

Already there was a bunch of reporters and journalists who wanted to know the identity of the kids so they could go ahead and ask questions, eager to share with the rest of the country who sat on the edge of their seats with a glimmer of hope in their eyes. Questions like who was the one that released the emergency smoke came flying around. How many villains did each student take down? What kind of quirks did the kids use to take on their opponents? Had the school trained them rigorously that the student was confident in their ability to fight back?

So many questions.

When the press got pushy on demanding to know the real heroes that day, the principal finally relented.

"A student who entered the school on high recommendations: Yaoyorozu Momo." Principal Nedzu revealed. "She used her quirk to signal the school for the trouble we were oblivious to."

Yaoyorozu was an important family well known across the country, and I was kind of shocked to be hearing this the first time because really? They were _that_ important? The more I listened to the talkshow hostess explain to her co-host, the more I slowly began to realize something seriously fucked up about my uptight classmate Yaoyorozu Momo.

The way they talked about her... it was like she was some sort of commodity to the people than some teenager. The only reason people cared about her at all was because they were angry about how their country almost lost an important asset because how the fuck else were they going to get those quirk gear, unattainable resources, or whatever bullshit they needed after losing it from the fall-out?!

For the first time in years, I was beginning to realize that the harm the old man created for these people went deeper than them losing support and loved ones.

What if one day someone said you could use your quirk to help people? Exciting, right? You'd do it, making things because you have the power to do so, handing it out like a present offered for the person asking for it. And then along comes another person, asking for another present, but bigger or more complicated. And it must've been hard work, but in the end, you made it and you give it to them. And then along comes another person who wants a present for themselves, too.

But at this point you're kind of tired, you want to stop, you want to be left alone because you want to something new for once.

Only you can't be left alone. You can't stop making those things. You can't do whatever you like whenever you like. You need to keep making them because people need it, and it's not like you have anything better to do. The only reason you're comfortable at all is because your quirk is helping with making money while also providing for the people who need it more than you. So no, you can't stop and you can't be left alone, and don't bother asking because that's just plain selfish Yaoyorozu Momo!

It made me wonder how the girl was able to break free from such a heavy burden forced upon her from a young age. What made her decide that she was better off as a sword for the nation than its tool? How did she find the strength to say no when they demanded more from her? How did she escape the clutches of her expectations? How did she ignore the millions of voices screaming, pleading, demanding her to quit being a hero because that was selfish of her?

I'll probably never know the answer, but I did find out one thing about the princess.

She was a fucking rebel.

"And another student who was given the highest score to date in the entrance exams: Sengoku Grímnir Kuzan!" Principal Nedzu cheerily added like he hadn't dropped a bombshell on everyone. "While Yaoyorozu did the signalling, I'm told by multiple witnesses that Sengoku had been the one to come up with the plan when it became clear to them that escape from the facility's entrance became impossible—"

The television screen turned black.

I didn't have the patience to watch adults suddenly bickering and arguing back and forth because whatever good deeds I had was tiny compared to the misfortune I brought upon them. By the end of the day, it was going to be just like how people thought Jakku had been my fault. This time however, the public had a plausible argument to explain why a group of villains were bold enough to actually invade a school in broad daylight and attack students in the middle of class.

There was a reason why these days there was a huge surge of villains. People got desperate, people got tired of the bullshit, and people were mad as hell that they lashed out to express their frustrations.

Besides, after assaulting a member of the faculty, I might as well kiss my enrollment to U.A. goodbye.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Recovery Girl was giving me a reproachful look, and I kept my eyes occupied with the rest of the room to avoid meeting hers.

As much as I felt like snapping, I knew I had to keep my temper in check because she didn't deserve any sort of nonsense from me (she was also responsible for helping me stay alive, so there was that). Still, if the old lady was upset about me attacking Aizawa then I really had nothing to say to her. She wasn't there to see how badly things became when we were attacked, she didn't watch a teacher abandoning his students to fend for themselves, and she had no idea how frantic we all were when we scrambled to reunite while protecting ourselves and our own.

If she came to me thinking she was going to guilt trip me until I felt bad for doing what I did, then she had another thing coming. I was grateful for her saving me, but I wasn't going to apologize for my actions either.

"Some tea, Sengoku-kun?" Principal Nedzu offered from his place on the couch across us.

"No, I'm good. Thank you." I politely declined.

My appetite was gone for the moment, too busy feeling anxious about the meeting taking place in the mostly abandoned high school. Recovery Girl and her team weren't experts on quirkology, but her and several members had worked long enough in the field to get a good idea on how to poke and prod their patient to find the answers they were looking for. Mom wasn't happy about the idea of me becoming a guinea pig but she understood the importance of it since people were still scratching their heads over how my Sentinel quirk was able to predict the attack.

Besides, given our history, we couldn't afford to be picky with where we got our professional help from (even after so many years, I still shuddered at the memory of those despicable therapists).

While mom was kept busy and distracted by the medical department who taken a few tests earlier to get some information on my brain signals, I was herded away by Recovery Girl to join her, Principal Nedzu, All Might, and detective Tsukauchi. To my surprise, he was also the other person to be aware of the secret of One for All. Eyes locked on the older man, the Pro hero nervously offered a crooked smile.

"Damn, All Might, you really like to flaunt your connections around, don't you?" I waved a hand towards the detective who barely managed to hide a smile behind his steaming mug.

"I'm not flaunting anything!" All Might exclaimed, offended at the idea that his influence was being used for evil. "Tsukauchi is a good friend of mine, and I was worried about you, but I couldn't visit you myself because I had to go do some interviews and press conferences! I asked him to check up on you, that's all!"

"This is a gross misuse of your network, you stalker. You had your buddy butt into other police business."

"I was worried! The last time I saw you, you were unconscious!"

"Uh-huh. Any other spies I need to look out for?" I persisted jokingly.

"Oh, be quiet!"

A small cough from the mammal brought our little squabbling to an end. Time was precious and there was important matters to be discussed, so All Might and I needed to leave our personal life outside of the office and focus on the situation. Once I was settled between the two adults on the couch, Principal Nedzu motioned a paw towards me.

"How are you feeling, Sengoku-kun? Any trouble in movement? Soreness in the muscles perhaps?"

"No, I'm feeling a lot better now." I replied as I flexed the muscles. "Got plenty of hours of sleep and my family brought back enough food, so I recovered real quick that they didn't need to keep me in the hospital for long."

"Sleeping and eating helps you gain back your strength?" queried the detective.

"It's quite fascinating, detective. After consuming a large amount of food to absorb the nutrients, Sengoku-kun's body becomes replenished which helps hasten the healing process!" Principal Nedzu excitedly commented from his spot on the other side of the coffee table.

Next to the mammal, the elderly woman gave the group and I critical look. "Are we all really going to beat around the bush? Did we not come here to talk about what happened outside the USJ entrance?"

 _'Here it comes...'_

"Shūzenji—" All Might began, but flinched when the doctor's sharp gaze fell on him. It was kind of impressive.

"No, don't try to excuse what your boy did, Toshinori. I cannot stand by when Sengoku deliberately attacked his teacher, going so far as to threaten him with murder!" Recovery Girl's gaze then fell on me. "What were you thinking, young man?!"

When someone usually does something nice for you, you learn to be humbled and grateful. Again, I really was glad that she saved me, restoring the muscles and tissues of my shoulder left evident by the massive scar, I truly was indebted to her.

But goddammit, I was an angry, selfish human being.

"I was thinking about how I had to listen to my classmate when she struggled to breathe. I was thinking about how many bones were broken, how many joints dislocated, how much damage her organs took when that thing _backhanded_ her." I began viciously, the words pouring out of my mouth acting like poisonous darts aimed to infect and harm. "I was thinking about how much blood the average adult carried before trying to guess how much Thirteen lost when those villains tore their body like sharks in a feeding frenzy."

Recovery Girl was no longer glaring, but her disapproval of my actions remained. She obviously saw what happened to the pair (she saw a lot worse in her time), but she couldn't fault me for how I reacted. She couldn't.

"I was thinking about how no one would tell me of their conditions, if they lived long enough to get help or not. I was thinking about the worst conclusions coming true, mine and everyone else's efforts not being enough to save the people we lost." I sneered when I recalled Aizawa, standing off to the side with his arms fixed and looking untouched while everyone else bled and cried. "I was thinking about how unfair their deaths were while that asshole of a teacher stood there and, and—!"

"Are you starting to understand, Sengoku?" Recovery Girl interrupted my tirade, still looking at me. "Are you starting to understand how everyone else feels?"

All the air in my lungs escaped like they've been vacuumed out, my eyes growing wide like saucers at the unintended harsh words. I could even hear All Might choke, as shocked as I felt. Just like how Aizawa had done after the battle simulation, her words felt as though I've been physically stricken in the face. My fury was hypocrisy, my guilt a mockery, and my actions a joke delivered poorly, all of it a reflection from what the rest of society was feeling every waking moment of their lives.

I opened my mouth, wanting to tell her I wasn't the villain who struck down their heroes, I wasn't the unseen disaster that stole hundreds of innocent lives, and I wasn't the degraded equipment that fell apart when they needed it most, but my teeth clamped shut after a long period of silence. Besides, given the pitiful look she was giving me through her frowning demeanor, she could already tell what I was going to say.

A doctor's job was to deliver truths. You may not like the news, but it was there and this was where everyone stopped to think on how they should proceed. I could be angry all I want, but shitty things happened and I needed to deal with it no matter how unfair the whole thing played out.

Just like Aizawa and everyone else in the country.

I gritted my teeth.

"Sengoku-kun." All Might cuts in, hand resting protectively over my shoulder. "Your classmate and teacher are safe. Remember? You and everyone definitely made sure they made it out okay."

Inhale.

Yaoyorozu's okay. Thirteen's okay. They were all _okay_.

Exhale.

"If you want me to make an official public apology, then sorry to disappoint you, but I won't do it. I don't regret my actions." I faced the principal and doctor. "He dismissed my warnings, abandoned his students to fight alone, and nearly costed people their lives because of it. I will never be ashamed of punching the man who placed innocent kids in mortal danger because of some personal grudge he had against me. And if you invited me here to tell me I'm expelled from your school, then say it and I'll be on my way without a fuss."

There was a tiny sharp intake of breath from the person beside me, no doubt surprised by the blunt words, but I ignored them in favor of keeping my attention trained on the small principal who stirred his tea in silence as I said my piece. Recovery Girl in turn said nothing. She already made her point, and I got what she was telling me, but it didn't change how I felt. Call me what you like, but I wasn't the idiot who ignored the warning signs before it was too late.

"That's unfortunate." Principal Nedzu sighed, placing his cup back on the coffee table. "If it's any consolation to hear: Aizawa is not pressing any charges against you."

While the news was unexpected and kind of surprising to know, it did nothing to quell the anger still burning within me. My face remained like a stoic statue as my arms kept in position of being crossed over my torso. Whether Aizawa had a change of heart not, it wouldn't change a damn thing on how I felt about him and his previous actions.

"And if you're concerned about your enrollment to the school being jeopardized, then you'll be surprised to know that an argument about emotional outbursts which result in the afflicted lashing out violently due to the paramount of distress is something that isn't uncommon in the hero community." I blinked, the anger slowly crumbling from my exterior. "This helped in keeping you attached to your class, but let me warn you, Sengoku-kun: you attack another member of my faculty again, I _will_ take actions in filing a lawsuit against you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." I muttered, eyes flickering briefly over to the doctor before returning to the mammal.

Once given a nod of approval from the principal, my eyes automatically turned towards the person who most obliviously came running to my defense.

"I wasn't the only one, you know." All Might huffed as he downed the rest of his tea.

"Yeah, but you're always the first in line." I pointed out.

"Kid's got a point." Tsukauchi chortled in agreement.

"Anyway!" Recovery Girl, determined to keep important subject on track, waved towards my limbs. "Do you know what happened when you were fighting against the Nōmu?"

"How could I forget? That thing was relentless." I frowned while rubbing a hand over the area where the monster bit me. "When the freak with the hand fetish told the Nōmu to do something, it did it without question. It attacked, it wrecked, it broke, and came close to killing a couple of people. The Nōmu was almost like an unstoppable force, and it didn't help that it had a regenerative quirk, too."

"Yes, people described it being unresponsive to reason and unaffected by emotions. I was also told it couldn't feel pain." Principal Nedzu hummed.

"No, it can feel pain. When I was fighting with the Nōmu, we landed in the fire zone and I managed to push some flames towards it. The thing started to scream when it's body caught on fire. I've seen it get impaled a couple of times by the debris when I slammed it around, and it pushed the rebars out like they were _stickers_." I shared with the other who listened to my story with keen ears. "But when I used fire against it, the Nōmu finally reacted. It was like hearing a couple of people scream bloody murder all at once."

"Jesus Christ..." All Might whispered quietly underneath his breath.

"Anyway, I tried to immobilize it while it was distracted by the burns. I figured that despite it being able to take a hit from One for All, it wasn't able to bounce it off like my body does when hit with blunt force—the Nōmu just absorbed it. So the plan was to keep hitting it long enough that it can't absorb anymore."

"Clever boy," Recovery Girl hummed from her spot. Then she pointedly stared at the shoulder. "But that didn't pan out so well for you, did it?"

I shrugged. "I didn't know that I was actually up against two villains. That warp guy messed up my plans and I almost became the Nōmu's personal chew toy."

"Well, thanks to your efforts, you kept the Nōmu at bay long enough for help to arrive." Tsukauchi smiled at me.

Quickly trying to push the discomfort away, I instead turned my attention back on the old lady like I hadn't heard Tsukauchi's praise. I motioned towards my arms, legs, and face, wanting to ask a question that's been bothering me for the past couple of days since I woke up in the hospital alone.

"Something weird happened to me when I was fighting the Nōmu! One moment, it felt like I could destroy planets like a Super Saiyan—" "What the heck is _that_?" "—but then when I lost hold of One for All, it started to tear my body apart like I was shredded paper!"

"Of course it did, you little nincompoop! You forced your premature body to take on One for All at its maximum power!" Recovery Girl scolded.

I shot up from my seat like an energetic fanboy watching his favorite team win the Superbowl. " _What_?! For real? You're saying I was able to hold One for All's full power for like a few minutes?"

"Don't say it like it's something to be proud of!" Recovery Girl admonished me. She turned to All Might with a deep scowl etched on her wrinkled face. "I hope he doesn't pick up any of your bad habits, Toshinori! I'm getting to be far too old in dealing with another round of hot-headed boys who don't know when to quit while they're ahead!"

"I'll do my best to guide young Sengoku away from making the same mistakes I made in my foolish youth!" All Might vowed while sinking deeper into the cushions of his seat as if it would help engulf his body so it would no longer be under the old lady's death glare.

"Back to the issue at hand," Principal Nedzu spoke. "Amazing as your quick progress is, Sengoku-kun, I must advise you do not draw its full power again until you've learned to control it properly."

"Yes sir."

That day, I experienced something incredible being unleashed like a powerful river that seemed to never end, blasting and crashing against the rocks as it made its way down the streams of my veins. It felt amazing, liberating even, when I watched my fists push the monstrous Nōmu further away from my classmates and teachers. And on that very same day, I learned of its terrible cost.

As scary as it was, that day became my biggest lesson and reminder about One for All: the power passed down to me was not a gift, it was a burden I had to be responsible for. All Might was still around to keep everything afloat with his strength and might (or whatever was left of it), but someday he was going to have to remove himself whereas I had to step up and hold the entire pillar of society to keep it from crumbling in on itself.

That day was coming soon, just beyond the horizon, and it honestly terrified me.

It made the appreciation and respect I had for All Might grow to new heights.

I needed to kick my training into a whole new level, I thought.

Like, whole new _Gear_ level.

A small notification alert jostled me a bit from my musings. Looking towards the source, Principal Nedzu had pulled out his little phone from the pocket of his vest, quickly reading over the message before typing a quick message. Call me a hypocrite but wasn't it considered rude around here to bring up a phone while in the middle of a meeting?

"Was that—?" All Might was sitting up straight from his seat, no longer relaxed. Warning bells started to go off in my head.

"Yes," the principal replied. "Better to get this done now than spring it on him when he's not expecting it."

The air turned sour. Not only that, but I caught how irritated All Might felt from the way his body temperature seemed to rise, and his blood brewed hotly from the anger bubbling beneath his skeletal frame. Like a tiny child stuck in the middle of giant adults, I looked around the others for answers. The principal stirred his tea, Recovery Girl tapped her gloved fingers across her lap, and the detective looked as though he was resigned to a fate worse than death.

Having enough of the secrets, I tried to demand an answer. "What's going on—?"

The entrance of the main office opened.

I looked over my shoulder.

I froze.

They in turn went still.

We stared at one another.

"Sengoku-kun," when All Might spoke, his voice sounded tight like he had wrapped his vocal chords with shackles and chains because he had to keep it under control. "Something else happened while you were recovering."

Slowly, the door closed behind them. They did not dare step further inside the room.

"Young Bakugō was driving himself insane about how you were able to move like you did. Recovery Girl barely managed to convince your mother and the rest of your family how you might have a recessive gene from your father's bloodline which explained a lot about your increased strength. This helped in pulling the wool over your classmates and teachers eyes."

I could not remove my eyes from the person standing at the doorway, pinning them there with the power of my gaze alone.

"But... we weren't able to explain away the multiple quirks they _felt_ you carrying."

"We had no choice but to tell him." Recovery Girl sounded apologetic.

And Aizawa's one eye that wasn't hidden away by the bandages sticking to the other side of his face stared right back.

"He knows about One for All."

* * *

Get ready for some upcoming Second/Third Gear bullshit, ya'll! :D

For clarification:

Aksel Gunnarsen's quirk is mental projection

Trine's quirk is psychometry


	21. Chapter III: Smells like Teen Spirit

**A/N:** Guess who's back on their bullshit~? I AM HERE with another chapter for all you fanboys and fangirls (and fans in general)! I noticed that a few people are asking this one thing that they didn't understand from the previous chapter. Hopefully, I tweaked it enough that the readers will comprehend that it's not who they think it is who found out One for All. But just in case, LET ME EXPLAIN!

Bakugō **doesn't **know about One for All.

Aizawa **does **know about One for All.

Hopefully this clears up the confusion of the previous chapter. I'm sorry I took long but there was the issue of writer's block, my slow transition to another fandom that I've been eyeing, and my procrastinating nature. Seriously, this is one of those things where you've imagined how the story plays out in your head (all the way up to the latest manga chapter with a few tweaks in the fandom lore when something new comes up), but my body can't seem to get out because SO MUCH WRITING! But I'm still here, still writing, and still doing my best to concentrate on getting this story going.

To the reviews!

 ** _Prince,_** Nope, sorry! Our little Bakugō is still in the dark (for now). Well, as for people not reading this story so much, this is on the side of those depressing fics and I imagine your friends aren't too keen on readings that are dark and leads a story without their favorite green bean, so that's probably why this isn't considered their top of the list reading material.

Originally, I saw Recovery Girl as the go-to grandma to kiss your boo boo's away (quite literally), but someone pointed out to me in the story how she seems to be a grounding force because people are too hopeful for situations that are kind of impossible to achieve. Like back when All Might was upset about people being angry at Kuzan, RG tells him to explain that to the people who died, lost their loved ones, or are suffering from side-effects due to their quirks being difficult to control/contain. She doesn't blame Kuzan but she doesn't blame people being angry either. She's pretty much neutral ground and I can't help but like her for it. She's somebody you need around in a group to keep people with their heads on their shoulders or otherwise they'll become too idealistic for something that if it fails, it'll crush them. She's kind of like Aizawa in that regard, reminding everyone that they're only humans and not gods.

 ** _Ultra Nebula,_** First off, thank you for taking a chance on this story as a lot of flamers get after me because either a) the protagonist is a wimp/isn't man enough (and that's only because they read the first few chapters, never mind bothering to read ahead where the story begins to pick up) and b) the main character, Izuku, is axed out. Secondly, I totally understand your aversion to One Piece, some anime just aren't for everyone and I can respect that.

This story was originally an experiment of what would happen if there was someone with a quirk that is similar to Luffy's Gum Gum powers. One minute, he's just stretching his limbs, but the next he's doing something unique that it amazes people with how creative that power can be. It opens up a world of possibilities on what else a person can pull off with such a unique power. In my opinion, Luffy's power is way cooler than Bakugō and Todoroki's combined. I tried looking for similar stories of the same vein but so far they came out with Izuku being ridiculously OP (not to mention the harem tags that followed).

 ** _BigBlimpin,_** Naw, it's okay. Besides, discussing real life issues isn't suppose to be a comfortable topic for most people. This is from watching all the bad stuff happening on my television, computer, and phone. A lot of stupid bullshit that could have been avoided but old people being old people gotta hurt the younger generation just because they can—like how Aksel Gunnarsen harmed an entire nation for selfish reasons, resulting in countless deaths. And me putting more spotlight on the girls isn't some SJW agenda. I get Shōnen is suppose to be appealing to all the boys, but do you see the mainstream plot surrounding them majority of the time? The girls barely get screen time when it comes to action scenes and are majority of the time reduced to love interests (or get pulled into some harem bullshit) or annoying side characters and I want to break that trend a little.

There's people telling me that Kuzan and Yaoyorozu should get together. What does that say? All they do is look at her figure and think, "She's hott! She's sexy! Kuzan can bang her like a screen door!" and nothing more. I'm sure you've come across plenty of harem fics where Yaoyorozu is the most popular girl to turn to, right? I don't want to put the girls there as option routes for romance, this isn't some dating sim game. These girls can be cute and all, but they're also obnoxious, snarky, blunt, insightful, have flaws, and can get shit done when the need arises. Basically, just people (and teen girls at that so let them be teens first because girls want to have fun). Also, there's a female villain lying in the shadows, and I promise her part in the story is just downright evil. Because not only can women be awesome people, but they can be evil scumbags. So anyway, sorry if that stuff throws you off as a reader, but at the same time I'm not sorry about expressing how ashamed I feel of my own country and how I want to put the girls as characters first.

 ** _Hurricane'97,_** Oh WOW~! Thank you so much, I love it! FIRST FAN ART _EVER_ (my own fan art does not count)! I'm happy you like the story thus far, and the new direction it's taking instead of following after the rest of the formula you normally read in other fanfictions. I hope this story continues to surprise and intrigue you as it pulls at your heartstrings and emotions.

 ** _SCHEDULEGuest,_** Sometimes I'll post two chapters within a month, so that's my best guess on how many chapters I throw. However, don't expect too much because sometimes life will invade on my personal bubble and I'll disappear for months on this story.

 ** _Exiled Soul Nomad,_** Bakugō and Aizawa are annoying? Well, I can understand how people feel that way after reading Chaotic!Aizawa, but that guy has his own issues that some people can understand (and thankfully, Aizawa has learned from his mistakes). Bakugō in general is an all around jerk-face well known by the fandom, so again, I can understand. But I wouldn't call him annoying, more like he's got issues that make other people get issues because of him. It's just one big complicated mess. However, things will get kind of better in the future (sort of). You should check out the videos regarding his character study, those kind of helped and inspired me on how to write him.

 ** _ReadingnerdOtaku,_** I think the relationship between Kuzan and Katsuki will be distant for now, but there are moments (like in the USJ) where they'll sort of like reach out to one another. It's subtle, it's barely noticeable enough to satisfy anyone, but there is something there that connects them. But it will come on full blast in the future, mark my words. Kuzan and Katsuki will have a day where they do face each other as their true selves and have a "talk".

 _ **redskin122004,** _There's actually an explanation on why Aizawa knows One for All. Check out the chapter.

 ** _TRASHKIING,_ **_Shooketh_? Lol, that's gonna be my new favorite word now. You must be referring to the Shōnen Jump special OVA where Class 1-A returns to USJ to do some rescue training, right? I actually thought about it, but I became unsure the more I pondered. In the original, the kids got away most scot free (the teachers being the only ones who suffered), but in CHAOTIC'verse, shit got darker and more people got hurt. Yaoyorozu and Kuzan nearly came close to dying, so would it be smart for All Might to open wounds again so soon after an attack like that? I have to agree with Aizawa on his reluctance to pull a stunt like that on the kids because that shit would definitely bring a lot of bad memories for them. But again, I don't know.

 ** _Phantom Aficionado,_** I feel you on the Aizawa-Kuzan issue, bruh. I feel you. And you know what? That's not a bad idea. Maybe somewhere down the line, there could be a chapter or a side-story where Aizawa and Kuzan can confront each other and let out all the issues, the anger, just the negativity out until they're both empty. I read your little drabble and I just want to say: can you wait until the Sports Festival is over to write more? Your drabble is good for now, it thankfully doesn't delve too deep into Hien's life in the CHAOTIC'verse, but wait until the fight between Todoroki and Kuzan to get an idea of the slight change regarding the Todoroki family.

 ** _sallyrose.3979,_** GumGum? I dunno if you're being serious or you're just messing with me...

 _ **HamClad,** _Funnily enough, that's kind of how I put Kuzan in the spectrum in personality between Bakugō and Izuku. I was also inspired by Mikasa from AoT/SnK, but I also wanted to have self-esteem issues as well.

 ** _GoldenFaith,_** All questions will be answered in due time. This is after all kind of like a slow burn. Enjoy the scenic route!

 _ **Betoran,** _Next is the U.A. Sports Festival my friend. And thank you, I appreciate your support and enthusiasm to this story. :)

 ** _REX559,_** I thought it was activated upon thoughts like, "capture" and "subdue". Anyway, you're probably also wondering how this will affect the story here. Let me just go ahead and say that it's going to be handled in a way that it could veer the entire story straight out of the atmosphere of canon. No, this doesn't mean I'm going to ignore this new change of events and pretend it didn't happen, this just means I got to improvise this new turn of events to fit into my story. I won't go into too much detail as that would mean spilling the beans of future events in the story, but I hope it will leave you and many other readers somewhat satisfied of how I made it work into this story. Hope that answered you questions!

 _ **Lightsbane1905,** _It was brief and short, but I thought she deserved to be this unstoppable force that'll run over anyone who gets between her and her baby. So yeah, anime moms are badasses when they aren't being killed off for plot devices.

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter III: Part I**

 **.**

* * *

 _"We have the documents prepared for you. Just sign off and you'll be officially transferred out of Class 1-A. If you're still interested in working at the school, I'm sure there's plenty of other spots you can fill such as overseeing students in tutoring centers, detention, or even monitoring the training sessions. However, if you feel like finding work elsewhere in another school, I will be open for any future discussion you might have."_

 _Serene, concise, gracious, and polite. Four charming qualities that Aizawa did not possess._

 _So far, the man was more blunt about his words, preferred privacy than socializing, favored fighting smarter and not randomly as most heroes did, and appeared to loath the idea of dealing with people. Especially children and popular heroes._

 _Toshinori watched from his seat on the couch as the other man looked over the documents,_ _his single visible eye dancing across the papers since his other remained out of commission from the orbital fracture his own student had given him._

 _Correction,_ former _student._

 _It finally became abundantly clear to all who saw (either up close or from the news) that putting Aizawa and Sengoku in the same room was like asking for an earthquake and a volcano to get along. There had been a ripple of outrage in the faculty meeting, everyone making it clear that they wanted the boy booted out as punishment for the boy's assault on a teacher, and it only got ugly when they learned the principal had no plans of doing such. Things looked like they were about to explode inside the meeting room_ _—until Aizawa finally brought the entire room to heel by telling them to shut up and deal with it._

 _It must have been a tough pill to swallow, to recognize that his actions went beyond the disciplinary and further into cruelty and prejudice, but Aizawa finally acknowledged that what he did was pretty messed up. The older man made sure the other knew it the moment the younger stepped inside Nedzu's office. His bright eyes flared and there was an atmosphere of heavy disappointment radiating off his shoulders._

 _It was difficult, if he was being honest. Toshinori still remembered a younger Aizawa in the early years of their nation's dark beginning. A young would-be hero sobbing in his arms as the paramedics carried his classmate's corpse, pale face and hands painted messily with tears and red. The older man tried to understand, tried to empathize with Aizawa's grief and the resentment he felt towards those responsible, tried to offer help in carrying the weight of such a heavy burden on his shoulders... but that meant leaving young Sengoku to face the wrath of the people whom his grandfather had wronged._

 _And All Might wouldn't stand by as the world tried to tear the boy apart._

 _His beginning as a new teacher inside the familiar walls of U.A. was slightly disorienting, but he adapted. He wanted to meet with his peers on equal footing, yet even with their eagerness and excitement, there was still a gap between him and his colleagues. While the staff was respectful and well-mannered, Aizawa regarded him with a sort of cold aloofness. The first time Toshinori greeted him with a friendly outstretched hand, the underground hero ignored it in favor of flatly warning him not to stoke the students' egos lest they try to perform dangerous feats in the name of emulating their idol._

 _The following weeks, the ink-haired man continued to brush off any attempts of friendliness from the older man, always the first to leave the room whenever Toshinori entered and always the first to shoot down whatever ideas he had when coming up with a syllabus for the students._

 _Sometimes, he wondered if the animosity Aizawa had for him came from the fact that he had seen the underground hero when Aizawa had been at his most vulnerable._

 _But now, he suppose it was safe to say that feeling was mutual._

 _It took a bit of time to go over the documents, the older man imagined it had to be difficult to read since there was only one functioning eye (and why the scruffy man hadn't gone to Recovery Girl for an easy fix, Toshinori would never know), but the ink-haired man eventually got what he wanted. With the stack of paper safely tucked away inside the secure manila folder, the underground hero slumped back into his seat. For awhile, no one said anything. The electric boiler released a small sigh to signal everyone else in the room that it was ready for usage. There was dozen of tea bags sitting in the middle of the coffee table, a wide variety for the guests to pick out in the pile._

 _"Something's been bothering me."_

 _The older man found himself under the scrutinizing gaze of the underground. Before, those obsidian orbs would dismiss his presence like he wasn't there, and when Toshinori was actually acknowledged by the other, there was only disdain for his presence. Toshinori truly did wonder if the other was genuinely angry at his presence or more furious at the memory when he broke down in the older man's arms all those years ago. Now, Toshinori felt like a butterfly trapped inside a glass frame as Aizawa studied his pinned wings and still body._

 _It was unnerving._

 _"Is there something wrong with the transfer papers, Aizawa?" Principal Nedzu asked. The mammal probably sensed something and was trying to divert the ink-haired man's attention from Toshinori, but Aizawa didn't seem to hear the principal._

 _"The first day of school, I took the children out in the field to test their quirks. It served two purposes: one was to understand their quirks and the other was to learn their strengths and weaknesses. Your boy, Sengoku, he did exceptionally well in the tests. He made it to the top five in the score rankings."_

 _The older man furrowed his brow in confusion. Where in the hell was all this coming from and where was the conversation going?_

 _"But something's been bothering me," Aizawa continued to say. "Back in the entrance exams, he was doing just fine until he crippled himself after using his strength; when we did the physical tests, he hadn't tried to use it at all until the ball throw. I had to erase his quirk because it seemed that he was only using it as a last resort... which I could only assume means he had no control over his own power. Strange, don't you think? Sengoku has a perfectly good handle of how he uses his rubber body and sensory yet for some reason cannot handle the power of his overwhelming strength."_

 _Something akin to dread started to creep up Toshinori's spine. The underground hero was beginning to tread in dangerous territory, and there was no way they could dismiss Aizawa's observations without making the ink-haired man even more suspicious. But leaving the underground hero to continue towards the path of the truth was even more frightening a thought!_

 _"Of course Sengoku-kun doesn't have the control needed to handle his own strength!" Toshinori exclaimed. "I imagine that's what happens when you're unable to access public spaces like quirk gyms because the general population is too busy blaming you for being unfortunately related to the man who left the rest of us to fend for ourselves!"_

 _While he was trying to pull the wool over the other man, he wasn't exactly lying about his successor's plight in life._ _The older man spent enough time around the boy that he noticed how they never entered populated_ _establishments. He and the dark-haired boy spent majority of their time wandering about in the streets that weren't too heavily crowded by pedestrians, never venturing into shopping districts, or even ducking inside small game arcades (as most kids Sengoku-kun's age wont to do)._

 _There was so many awful implications in his observation of the boy's daily life that Toshinori sometimes felt increasingly worried on how apathetic the youngster could be. It was in a way painful to watch Sengoku-kun unflinchingly facing a random stranger on the street spitting abuse directly to his face._ _Yet the knife twisted deeper when someone who granted a hint of genuine kindness was immediately treated like a leper. Kindness to Sengoku-kun looked like a trap, like a fire ready to set him ablaze the moment it caught him, or a bargaining chip he had no means of paying back in exchange._

 _"This school was established for the purpose of not only training our future civil servants to our society, but helping the students in better understanding the power behind their quirks. Now and then, there will be youngsters who don't know the extent of their abilities, and that is why we the teachers must help them when they struggle to get past that hurdle." Principal Nedzu added, flawlessly helping in pulling the truth further away from the underground hero's grasp. "It is a teacher's duty to help his students when they are in trouble_ _—but the students cannot accomplish anything if their own teacher is unable to keep things professional."_

 _That last jab was of course aimed at Aizawa's poor behavior. It evoked a subtle flinch from the younger man._

 _Acknowledging_ _the point, the ink-haired man slowly nodded his head in a subdued manner. Hands clasped over his lap, the underground hero's one eye gazed at the manila folder in a dazed stupor._

 _"You're right. That makes much more sense."_

 _Toshinori allowed himself a small but quiet sigh of relief. Gran Torino always told him that he couldn't lie to save his own life, so he had to carefully maneuver around certain topics with half-truths to throw people off. It was tiring work, but the more he did it, the more he got better at hiding behind the mask he presented to the public. There was only a few people who saw past his deflections and he felt blessed most days to call them his most treasured people._

 _Reaching for a cup of tea, just to keep himself occupied, he almost missed Aizawa's next words._

 _"But I'm not an idiot."_

 _The blond was lucky he didn't take the cup sooner because he surely would have shattered it from the shock coursing through him. Snapping electric blue eyes on the man across from him, the ink-haired hero met him head on._

 _"I probably won't get the whole story about the fight which left you grievously injured, but I know it must've been bad enough to leave you in the state you're in whenever you use your quirk to become the Symbol of Peace everyone else sees." Toshinori suddenly felt small and feeble as Aizawa brazenly looked over his gaunt features and baggy attire. "The decreasing time limit of your quirk, how insistent the principal was to have you recruited, the private conference where you revealed yourself to the rest of us... your keen interest in overseeing Sengoku's growth..."_

 _A sharp inhale, a familiar awful something beginning to climb up his throat and coat the back of his tongue, threatening to slip between his clenched teeth and dribble down the corner of his lips. The pressure to hold it back only made the feeling worse._

 _"This is more than you retiring from the hero community."_

 _"Aizawa_ _—!"_

 _"Back in USJ, when I was fighting against a group of villains, the Flood Zone exploded. For a moment, the villains thought it was_ you _." Toshinori nearly bit off his own tongue from how hard his teeth clamped shut. "And when Sengoku fought against the_ _Nōmu_ _—it was as if I was watching_ you _fight that thing."_

 _If you didn't say it out loud, you could pretend that it isn't real; but in this moment, the three of them inside Nedzu's office, the blond listened helplessly as the truth he hid so jealously poured out of the other man's mouth._

 _"Your quirk... Sengoku has it, doesn't he?"_

 _Blood splattered messily, and his_ _mustard yellow pinstripe suit became a lost cause._

* * *

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 **.**

 **.**

Back when Jakku had gotten its much needed makeover (in both appearance and doing away the unnecessary baggage), I hadn't felt anything besides the surprise and awe of looking at the newly refurbished building. I was too busy gawking at the clean and spacious classrooms, taking in the new teachers that didn't take no crap from a class full of unruly degenerates, and observing the gradual change between my old teachers and classmates who continued on with their lives for the better.

The reformation of the school made me almost forget about the attack in the cafeteria. It was there in the back of my head, only popping up now and then, but it became a distant thing that I was able to put behind me in due time.

But now, as I walked closer towards the front gates of the school's entrance which was monitored by the local heroes and school staff, the attack in the USJ facility was all I could think about.

The tension everyone felt was so obvious that it wafted around the air like a stench I could barely ignore even as I dulled my nose. The ring of reporters and cameramen certainly did nothing to help calm everyone's nerves. Thankfully, instead of making it harder to access the school's entrance, the press kept a safe distance; although, they apparently were facing their own backlash considering how the principal had revealed to everyone how the villains had been able to infiltrate the school in the first place.

I was in no mood to be swarmed by a bunch of screeching, suffocating bunch of microphone and camera-wielding idiots who had no concept of personal space, but I couldn't do much since I was already under hot water for the stunt I pulled on Aizawa. The short mammal may have taken advantage of the media's focus on the miracle of Class 1-A, but he was dead serious about taking legal action should I ever get violent again. Forget kissing my enrollment to the school goodbye, forget that I was the inheritor of One for All, that tiny creature would bury me under so much litigation that the astronauts up in their space station could probably see it.

With that frightening warning in mind, I cautiously made sure to keep my head down and not somehow trigger a street brawl.

Thankfully, it wasn't too hard to come up with an idea on how to pull off such a feat.

Swapping my school uniform for my work-out attire, I pulled a hoodie and some shades over my face to help obscure my recognizable features and proceeded to carefully weave my way through the men and women who tried to stop every student that unfortunately fell under their scope. They asked the popular question that's been on the rave these days, the student's thoughts on the "miracle class", or the common "what's All Might like as a teacher?" question.

On occasion, I had to flash my student ID now and then so I wouldn't be mistaken for another suspicious character trying to cause trouble. I didn't lower my guard until after I made it past the newly reconstructed school gates, letting out a breath of relief that nothing happened. Ignoring the commotion going on behind me, I removed my hoodie and shades while making my way towards the entrance of the main school building.

I only had ten minutes left until the first period of class started, so I had enough ample time to go in and change into my uniform. Just as I was about to follow through with my plan, a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Damn, that was kind of smart. Should've done that instead of walking around with a murder face to scare away those fucktards."

Looking over my shoulder, I nearly did a double-take to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me.

Coming towards me in a U.A. uniform, Kamitsuku asjusted the collar of his buttoned shirt (forgoing the jacket and red tie) while keeping a firm grip on his backpack. He was still sporting the man-bun look, but the difference from then and now was that the length of his hair grew a few inches longer. Gobsmacked at seeing him, all I could do was stare at him while his sea-foam colored eyes roamed over me.

"What class are you in?" I heard myself ask him, barely realizing what I just said until I heard him reply back.

"Gen Ed." Kamitsuku answered without hesitation. "You can only do so much against a pack of robots with a quirk like mine."

So much had been going on between All Might, One for All, Aizawa, the League of Villains, the media, and all the drama which came along with such bullshit that other small details completely slipped my mind. I practically forgot all about the fate of Kamitsuku Sanzoku—until today. At least I finally got to know the answer of what became of him after we parted ways to go to our own battle trials.

"Well, at least you got in." I lamely offered.

A snort was all I got in return.

"I'm shocked you're still here!" he exclaimed as a wicked smile graced his features. "You must be pretty good if the principal is willing to overlook you clocking one of their own teachers in the face."

Despite his taunting drawl, and the familiar curl around the corner of his lips when he was about to laugh at someone else's expense, there was something about Kamitsuku's smell that made me stop. His display of attitude was just that: a show. It reminded me of All Might when I first met the man. Kamitsuku was giving off this mask with his japes and mocking laughs, but his eyes were suddenly like x-rays cutting through cloth and walls.

"Stuff happened and..."

Throughout the entire media circus, not once was my supposed precognitive abilities mentioned. The principal never revealed to the public how one of their students was able to detect the danger long before it happened, nor did he explain why Aizawa was assaulted in the first place (instead throwing in the stupid cover story), so it made me wonder just how much was I allowed to speak on the matter. Did they not want me to tell anyone what I could do? Probably not.

"'Course I know stuff happened." Kamitsuku cuts in, dropping his little playful display to give me an appraising look. "Just like how I know stuffed happened back in Jakku."

I stood there, staring at him in surprise.

"Me and a lot of people pulled some stupid shit on you back there, and not once did you do a damn thing about it." Kamitsuku explained to me. "So when I watched you deck that guy in the face, it made me wonder: how big of an asshole was that dude to make even _you_ react like that?"

In all honestly, hearing this shocked me.

Kamitsuku had made my three years in middle school absolute hell. Trashing my things, stealing money and food, taking advantage of my quirk to attack me, it was like a game he had fun playing with every day since the beginning. In my eyes, he was another face from the background that joined the rest of the growing swarm heavily influenced by the media and the older generation who did nothing to hide their contempt. There was no swaying someone who grew up believing in the hatred, so I made no attempts in seeing beyond his stupid pompadour hair.

But my expectations came crashing down when I had been facing off against the rampaging students who were afflicted by the dangerous drug. Just when the giant cyclops was about to swing a heavy arm at the defenseless Kawaki-sensei, Kamitsuku leapt in and tackled it down, aiding me in the effort to distract the drugged student long enough for Kawaki-sensei to drain the drug out of the poor bastard's system.

And afterwards, there had been nothing but silence between us.

Now, nearly a year later, he pulled the rug from right under my feet once more.

Kamitsuku was the typical blind follower who directed his hatred once he knew where the people's fingers were pointed towards. Like any other child, he grew up hearing stories about a selfish man punishing their country over the actions of his daughter and her lover. It was an old story everyone knew by now, and the other boy was no different than any other citizen.

So why?

Why did his face stand out from the rest of the blurry world? What made him stop joining the rest of the flock who vehemently bleated "bastard" to my face? Where was his grudge, his disdain, his suspicion?

How could he look at me like he was seeing me for the first time despite the years together in middle school?

A chime broke the silence.

I looked at the clock, cursing under my breath from the lack of time I had left to change out of my work-out clothes.

My dark mumbling went quiet when I heard Kamitsuku's feet shift, his shadow briefly passing over mine until he was walking past me through the school's open entrance. Watching him, I felt like a clumsy guard who foolishly missed the shadowy figure of a thief sneaking past the high walls I built to keep outsiders out.

"You better hurry up, Sen _gaki_." Kamitsuku warned as he walked away. "You'll be late for class."

...

Has anyone ever experienced a moment where they reach a destination they don't remember getting to? You're driving to work in a long highway, but your mind is so lost in the moment that when it comes back to itself, you're already pulled up at the parking lot of your workplace. Or when you're walking to get to the next class which happens to be on the other side of the campus, but in the next blink you're standing at the entrance of the lecture hall with no clear memory on how you got there.

It was as if I had been put on auto-pilot, my brain elsewhere while my body just moved in the routine direction I became accustomed to. One moment I was standing at the school's entrance, the next my hand was on the sliding door of my classroom.

I was really out of it today, I thought.

The day barely even started and already I was beginning to feel a tad bit exhausted. I was tempted with idea of turning around and going back home, but that idea was quickly scrapped when I remembered how strict the school was about absent students. The thought of facing my classmates so soon felt oddly daunting. The last time I saw everyone, they were all battered and bleeding from the attack with police and heroes trying to squeeze information out of them.

They were all accounted for, I noted after a couple of whiffs in the air.

Even Yaoyorozu.

It had been four days since I last saw her, and the memory of her in the USJ facility still left me a bit shaken and guilty. Thirteen was still recovering from their injuries, but the rescue hero was doing alright with Recovery Girl and other doctors looking after them. Like a mantra that sounded an awful lot like All Might, I reminded myself again and again that Yaoyorozu wasn't hospitalized or permanently crippled from the fight. She was here, she was safe, and she was going to carry on like the rest of us.

Beyond the complaints from the public and the hero community, others were already hailing the girl as a heroine in the making. Class 1-A became somewhat famous, but Yaoyorozu got the most recognition from the rest of her peers thanks to her valiant efforts during the attack. Everyone knew by now if not for her, things would have taken a turn for the worse. Not only that, but people loved how hardcore she was she after her discharge from the hospital, she didn't hesitate to return to school once it opened back up to the students.

She really was something else.

With a tug, the door slid open.

Just as I was stepping through the wide threshold—

"Sengoku!"

The sound came like a crack of thunder, a gunshot in the open: loud and sudden.

My body responded accordingly before my brain could catch up to what was going on, only barely hanging onto thoughts like "ambush" and "fight". I saw dozens of bodies rushing towards me with great haste, their movement clumsy and uncoordinated but still dangerous from how quick they moved. They were coming at me with a full frontal assault, the arch of their line close to being 180 degrees which made it easy for me to keep a track on their movements yet made me wary for a surprise attack occurring with nothing to protect my back.

It just meant I had to finish this quickly.

In no time, I threw the heavy weight of whatever was hanging off my shoulder so my mobility would increase, and I raised my arms in preparation. One Gatling attack would do to take them out. Like blades to the grass.

A familiar rush of power surged through my veins, and I welcomed it gladly as my vision flared to life as if the sun was exploding behind my irises. I drew my arms back, ready to unleash a barrage of fists against my enemies.

" _KUZAN_!"

Like a string snapping itself taut, the confusion and frightening shadows disappeared and the blurred vision became as focused as a far-seeing telescope. The familiar shout of my name grounded me like a wayward flaming comet drawn to the earth, crashing into the ground where it stayed trapped.

Just as quickly as it started, everything stopped.

The clamoring of voices, the thundering of multiple footsteps, the flurry of motion—it all went still.

"S-Sengoku?"

I blinked.

My brain finally caught to the rest of me.

Standing like a forest of petrified statues, with their eyes wide and mouths gawking openly, my classmates watched me with worry. Somewhere in their shock, I could detect a subtle hint of fear floating around their individual odors, all nervous like wary animals that didn't know how to proceed with something they perceived as dangerous. I saw Ashido's pink hand waver a little, her fingers reaching out towards me before coming to realize that it was a bad idea.

A flash of static told me why they were so spooked.

I was baring One for All against them—the very same power they saw me bat the monstrous Nōmu around like a cat to its toy.

No one here wanted to find out how many layers of concrete their bodies could crash through before their remains were reduced to a bloody slab of thin meat. Had the villains not interfered between me and the brain-dead creature, the fight might have ended differently... and they all knew that. Beyond them, I saw Bakugō who was on his feet, his hands open like he was prepared to do _something_. Thankfully, it didn't come to that.

Inhale.

One for All gradually died down into nothing, taking with it the static light it encircled my body with like electric snakes prepared to strike. The rushing river went quiet as a small creek and I stomped out the drumming war beat of my heart.

Exhale.

Everyone was given a severe look.

"We just survived a goddamn ambush and the first thing you do is _run at me_?"

"Oh," Ashido blinked, a lone finger scratching at her cheek. "Sorry."

The pinkette's lackluster apology only made my mood grow sour. Before I could reprimand her any further for her nonchalance in what almost could have resulted in her skull getting caved in due to her carelessness, Kirishima jumped forward with a friendly greeting.

"Sorry for startling you, man. We all were just happy to see you turned out okay. Last time, you didn't look so hot." Kirishima's smile waned a bit. "I seriously thought that the school was going to expel you after what happened with Aizawa-sensei."

A black cloud was now looming over my head, the scowl on my face deepening at the mention of the underground hero's name. Everyone noticed, but it was Jirō who saw fit to badger me some more regardless whether or not I was in the mood to discuss what happened.

"How'd you convince the school to let you stay?" the punk girl questioned me as she played with one her ears. "I mean... I get why, but you still assaulted a teacher. You should've at least told the faculty what happened instead of cold-cocking the dude in front of a hundred witnesses. Not to mention the press catching it all on camera..."

"Principal Nedzu stated to the press it was because of an emotional outburst, but we all know it was more than that." Asui remarked.

Before I could even think to open my mouth and snap at the frog girl, Iida readily dived in with his arms waving about like his limbs were on fire. "It was obvious since the very beginning that Aizawa had personal grievances against Sengoku! The school should have addressed the issue properly instead of waving it away with a small warning!"

Well, at least I had _somebody_ in my corner. However, my respite was short-lived as Iida then turned towards me, his one arm slicing through the air like a wicked guillotine blade about to put me out of my misery.

"Don't think you're off the leash, Sengoku! While I've slowly learned about you and the difficult position you've been forced upon, you are not the one who gets to decide on how someone is punished!" Iida admonished me.

Immediately, my imaginary hackles rose in anger. "Excuse me?! That dumb fuck almost got everyone killed—!"

"Sengoku."

The sound of their voice was like cold water splashing over my head, shoulders, and back. Skin prickling and body trembling, mind temporarily visited by the blue screen of death before shock enveloped the brain and nerves.

Sitting in the far corner of the desks, Yaoyorozu Momo watched me with a patient look. Instead of finding a girl who just came out of the hospital, there sat an individual who's posture remained the same: sharp and firm.

Her face was paler than usual which made the few bruises on her skin stand out, but they were thankfully minor and not as sickly-looking as the ones I saw before. She was also sporting a few bandages here and there, but I suspected the worst ones weren't obvious. She did well to cover them, but it also seemed like she wasn't going out of her way to hide her injuries. In a way, it was as if her appearance was making a statement to the rest of the world, something that didn't have to be said out loud.

She survived, and though she was injured, she was still going to get up and keep fighting the good fight.

"Sengoku."

Her tone no longer exuded that cold politeness she once used when speaking with me. It was still firm, controlled even, but empty of the icy demeanor she used to regard me with.

It reminded me a lot like mom's when she wanted order after a small spat between family members. She was the unbending wall that didn't budge from every wave crashing against her front, a mountain that refused to bow, a mother and wife who would not be cowed by her child and husband. And like always, we receded back and stood in silence like calm ocean waved. She would then speak, her tone commanding as she pushed us, dad, me, and sometimes herself, to do better.

Yaoyorozu never asked for someone to fight for her. She never asked someone to go out of their way to hurt another person. She (and Thirteen) never asked me to hurt Aizawa for what happened.

Because in the end, who was it that decided to attack a bunch of high school students? Who's idea was it to break into a school with intentions of murdering as many kids they could get away with when All Might was a no show? Who was it who brought harm on Yaoyorozu and Thirteen?

Not Aizawa.

A warm hand slipped around my wrist.

Uraraka looked as though she hadn't previously been dropped in some death trap stranded in the middle of a villain infested lake. Her round face was devoid of any scratches and bruises she got in protecting herself whilst Kōda did his best to help Thirteen. Her uniform looked clean and pristine, and she smelled calm with barely a sign of the shaken girl who was in tears outside of the facility.

Yet her eyes were the same as before. Looking out for another's state of mind beyond her own.

"What happened was unfortunate." Yaoyorozu said. "But you cannot pass the entire blame on Aizawa-sensei's shoulders. Do you recall any one of us standing up and vouching for you?"

My eyes ducked away from her.

"Did any of us say we believed you on your claims?"

They wandered away from everyone and closer towards the windows.

My tangerine hues unconsciously searched out its darker familiar.

They stared back evenly, and with them their answer.

"Then by your reasoning, you should have dispensed the same punishment to the rest of the class."

"He was in charge of protecting you!" I vehemently snapped at her, my anger still refusing to subside despite the logic behind Yaoyorozu's words. "He was the man responsible in looking after you, and when I presented him the opportunity to get you all to safety, he threw it aside because of his personal grudge! How can you even sit there and defend someone who nearly got you all killed over his beef against me?!"

My question then extended itself to the rest of my classmates who had stood in uncomfortable silence throughout the exchange between the tall girl and I. My gaze fell over their faces, some of them looking petrified, others like hardened statues, and the rest like silent night. Just as I suspected, none of them could give me a straight answer.

"And besides," I continued. "Aizawa was my top priority in convincing him of the danger. Even if I did somehow manage to reach through enough people, a lot of you would have hesitated against the guy's authority. So, like the goddamn idiot I was, I thought I had to get to him first so the rest of you would follow his lead!"

There was no way to hide the bitterness or disdain I felt about the outcome—not that I wanted to. It didn't matter, everyone knew now how well that idea turned out for them. Nearby, Iida blew a small exhale to release the tension from his shoulders. He was all about keeping things in order and didn't like the drama involved, but here we were.

"I won't fault you for your feelings," Iida said, voice calm and collected rather than strong and reproachful like moments ago. "What I'm trying to say is this: the longer you continue to act out in such a violent manner, the less likely anyone will come to your defense should you find yourself in another ugly predicament. Do you remember how you were almost disqualified back in the entrance exams?"

How could I forget the shock I felt when I watched Iida and Uraraka confront a faceless teacher in the administrative office, stubborn and passionate over the unfair elimination I had been faced with? I could still remember the feel of mom's hands when they were wrapped around my waist as she cooed into my ear, and dad smiling into the crown of my hair as we listened to All Might proudly declaring my official entry to the hero school.

"Do you recall who explained to Aizawa why you were so hesitant to fill out costume registration forms?"

Viscous obsidian eyes glared holes into me, threatening to scorch my existence then salt the earth of my remains. Good riddance, those dark eyes said to me back then. And then All Might's broad back was shielding me, protecting me from the perceived threat with his presence alone. Iida's voice cuts through the tension, beseeching to the underground hero of the poor mistake I was dearly paying for.

"The principal barely managed to salvage the situation," Iida continued. "It's only thanks to Yaoyorozu's growing popularity with the media that he was able to push their attention elsewhere."

While it was true that Yaoyorozu was gaining quite the high reputation, the rest of Class 1-A was beginning to stand under a spotlight of their own. People were already going about calling them the generation who would put an end to all the senseless suffering the nation's been plagued with after so many years. Class 1-A would become the heroes who would stand beside All Might in keeping everyone safe, continuing their do-gooder attitudes while simultaneously fighting off the forces of evil under the proud eye of the number one hero of Japan.

No pressure.

"Sengoku," Iida caught my wandering mind again. "You cannot continue to rely on others to bail you out of trouble every time you make a mistake."

Since the beginning, it was my parents who stood between me and the rest of the world, charging forward into the hail of bullets that tore into their flesh and battered their hearts. It was something I never wanted for them, and it was for that reason why I had bowed my head for so long to take in every insult and hit if it meant a little more reprieve was granted for my family. So what the hell was I doing in letting All Might, Iida, and Uraraka fight for me? Their case was so much worse because they had no fucking clue what the hell they were walking into the moment they decided to associate themselves to me.

All Might was already beginning to find himself more isolated from the rest of the school staff after the USJ incident. I knew he wouldn't say it, and he took great lengths to make a show that all was alright, but I could sense the stiff air when he interacted with his colleagues. There was a cold politeness, a tightness that reminded me more and more of his mask than his true self, not to mention how his grinning face looked more like a dog about to bite your hand off.

Bakugō had been smart (or lucky) enough to cut ties with me when we had been younger. This saved the ash blond a lot of grief from being constantly harassed and targeted by other people (he most definitely would have ended up with a record from all the nasty fights he could have potentially gotten into with the other kids in middle school) because of his association with me. Izuku, on the other hand, had been too stubborn and loyal to even consider the idea of abandoning a childhood friend to fend for themselves. He was the definition of ride and die...

For too long, I've been biting my tongue while keeping my head down so I wouldn't create any waves, allowing for cruel words and crueler actions to fall upon me—but now, after the sludge monster, All Might, the burning of Jakku, the training at Dagobah Beach, and the inheriting of One for All... I was absolutely _sick_ of bowing my head and doing nothing.

What horrible timing to gain a backbone. Yet at the same time... I wasn't all that sorry.

How could I be sorry for daring to meet Kamitsuku's eyes like I was silently, without effort, issuing a challenge? How could I feel bad about watching a bunch of dumbass kids fall back on their rear ends when they tried to shove me aside like they so many countless times in the past? How could I feel so pathetic when a sudden energy came to awake my lethargic body like it hadn't in _years_? How could I feel so small when I walked beside All Might as he and I eagerly bantered back and forth like we've been doing this far longer than it seemed? How could I shrink away from the contempt thrown at me by other kids during the practical exams? How could I feel ashamed of showing that bastard Aizawa the extend of my abilities?

How could I not feel angry when I nearly watched people die because of one man's mistake?

"Look," I turned towards Iida. "Whatever happens to me, you let me face my own consequences. I don't want _anyone_ getting between me and my mistakes."

The frown on Iida's face deepened, and I didn't bother to look at Uraraka because I already knew she wasn't happy with my dismissal of their warnings. Besides, the two of them ought to quit with the concern lest other people get ideas and start to turn their critical eyes on the idealistic pair of wannabe heroes who hadn't a clue of how their actions could dictate their future.

There was plenty of hurt making itself familiar to my household, and it was beginning to sink into All Might when his relationship with other Pro heroes in the school started to become strained; I never want Iida and Uraraka to fall into the same dark hole everyone else was stuck in. Just like how the karate boy said my actions would reflect to the public, the same could be said on my classmates.

"The best solution to the problem would be for someone to transfer in and out between classes." Todoroki spoke up for the first time, surprising a few. "That way we could avoid another disaster like the training facility."

Who knows what could have happened had I not been in the class, and Aizawa vice-versa. Maybe Thirteen would have been more willing to listen or maybe Aizawa could have been focused enough to actually do something rather than engross himself in arguing with me. Well, no point in crying over spilled milk.

"Um, I've got a question!" Mineta called attention to himself from where he was standing with the other kids. "How come they didn't fire Aizawa-sensei? I mean, a lot of people knew what was going on with him, so why would they keep employing him after that?"

"Because they cannot risk losing anymore assets." Yaoyorozu answered. Of course she would know this particular subject better than anyone else. "His quirk is valuable when it comes to training new heroes. As children, we're still learning and exploring our quirks which could be dangerous at times if not monitored carefully."

Translation: the hero community couldn't afford to be picky with who they left in charge of the next generation of heroes. Sure, while it was true that we had the power of All Might and Endeavor to back us up and keep things mostly stable, it still didn't fix the problem of how multiple agencies were stretched thin and therefore had to make do with what they had. So unless Aizawa one day decided to murder someone because they looked at him funny, a lot of people were going to pretend that they didn't see anything.

"They'll likely give Aizawa-sensei the option of transferring schools if he wants to quit teaching at U.A., but the principal will expect the other school to trade one of their own to replace him." Yaoyorozu added.

Turning my burning gaze on the tiled floor, I bristled at the thought of the underground teacher getting a light slap on the wrist for all the trouble he had caused. Yet, the option would have been preferable if not for one glaring factor which prevented the man from doing so.

" _Aww_ , but I don't want to trade Sen-chan!" Ashido whined. "He was starting to grow on me!"

It took a few seconds to realize who the pinkette was referring to. Slowly, my head rose to lock on the back of the girl's head.

"Yeah, kinda like a fungus." Kaminari chimed in, earning a few laughs from several students.

My eyes narrowed on the giggling bunch.

Kirishima was grinning as he placed a hand over one of my shoulders. "You're really something, aren't ya Sengoku bro?"

I stared at the hand on my shoulder.

... What the _fuck_ kind of angle were these guys playing at?

It was like the flowers in the hospital all over again, only this time they were being blatant about their so-called "camaraderie". It made my teeth grind while my shoulders struggled not to cringe away from the redhead's hand. It was the train wreck disaster you couldn't avoid watching and listening to, the experience becoming distracting, upsetting, and difficult to endure that I wouldn't wish this subjection on anyone. However, that wasn't the most baffling part to me. It was one thing to be in the middle of something painfully ridiculous, it was another to have past difficulties swept under the rug.

They acted as though we've been mutual buddies since the beginning of school.

As if I hadn't been the person they've given a wide berth to after hearing all sorts of horror stories about the boy who blew up his own middle school after unleashing a dangerous drug; as if I hadn't been the asshole who threatened their placement in the classroom because of the teacher who held an old grudge against him which then extended to the rest of them; as if I was the one who liked to cause drama for everyone else by stirring up trouble for what they presumed was for shits and giggles.

How did these people pull it off so effortlessly? How were they able to effortlessly swallow down their previous disdain and turn it into something sickeningly sweet and disgustingly welcome when it was anything but? The concerns show from Iida and Uraraka were at least easier to explain away.

Iida was picked class rep not because he had previous experience from whatever elite school he came from, but because this guy had the potential to lead teams with little to no trouble at all. He did a damn good job in my honest opinion; he didn't even know me but he was willing to push aside the rumors and stories about me because my actions spoke louder than my words. Not only that, but he was willing to listen to people's issues before making judgement, was able to bend backwards for something as long as it stood within reason, and he was willing to have people's backs when in danger. The USJ took everyone by surprise, and for a moment he faltered, but he quickly kicked it into gear when the situation called for it and thanks to his (and Mineta's) help, we made it out of our zone with barely a scratch on our persons. Iida was a natural born leader, simple as that, and as leader it was only natural he would be concerned about the well-being of his teammates.

Uraraka once said she wanted to be a rescue hero like Thirteen, and she did a lot of research about safety programs and what people ought to do in the middle of a disaster and such. She wanted to help people, she said, and make them feel safe even when things were scary. That day in the facility, her determination on how serious she was about controlling dire situations was put to the test. Throughout the horrendous ordeal, she exuded a sense of calm and stability which helped in quelling the panic that had almost exploded on the yacht. Just one touch, one look from her, and suddenly everything felt like standing on steady ground rather than struggling on a crumbling terrain.

As for Bakugō, Yaoyorozu, and Todoroki, their silence felt more real than the empty platitudes everyone else offered.

Steady footsteps that echoed down the hallway while carrying the scent of coffee and cat fur made me straighten up. Taking notice of the growing foul mood and the pointed glare I aimed towards the closed door, everyone instantly knew right then and there who was coming. Iida had to physically move me in order to get me going, and begrudgingly, I made my way towards my desk. Everyone else did the same, the cheer and noise from earlier dimmed down to something somber as they sat down and waited for the person to arrive.

Not even half a minute later, the door slid open.

Aizawa stepped through the threshold while still sporting the heavy bandages and medical eye pad over half his face. I could make out a few ugly bruises and a bit of swelling near the area of his obscured dark orb, but the bandages and unruly bed hair made it difficult to get a clearer picture of the damage I left behind.

"Good morning, class."

Only a handful of students bothered to greet him in return, Iida and Yaoyorozu included since it was expected of them as class representative and deputy. Yet even their responses lacked the usual enthusiasm from previous times.

If it hadn't been obvious then, it certainly was now.

Everyone stared at the teacher with an air of discomfort, feeling all sorts of wary for various reasons only they themselves knew. No matter how logical Yaoyorozu's words were regarding the events that transpired, it still didn't erase the feelings they've experienced when they had been left alone to face their own lethal enemies. This resulted in the kids beginning to question their superiors whom they've blindly followed up until now, and it also made them wonder if entrusting their lives to said leader would only be a mistake as was nearly the case in the USJ attack.

"It seems we all need to clear the air before we can actually get down to business," Aizawa suddenly remarked from behind his podium. "So let's have it. Get whatever is on your chest out."

Whereas most floundered for being casually called out, Bakugō didn't hesitate.

"Why are _you_ here?"

It was indistinct, but everyone could tell what this actually was: a call to questioning the man's capabilities to lead.

Bakugō was a straight forward kind of guy, and he was also a perfectionist, so he liked doing things that were simple and clean. What he didn't like was people making things difficult, people not taking things seriously, and people becoming compromised in the middle of situations where their heads needed to be in the game. The teacher had made things difficult for me, had brushed aside my concerns unless it came out of the mouth of someone else, and his personal issue nearly costed people their lives. In short, Bakugō could no longer respect an authority figure who couldn't keep it together when shit needed to get done.

"Sir," Yaoyorozu interjected before Aizawa could properly address Bakugō. "Wouldn't it be prudent for the school to switch students, or teachers at least, to prevent future discord?"

Perhaps she hadn't mean to, but her words seemed to burn the older man as implicated by the narrowing of his one eye and the slight frown almost hidden behind his capture weapon scarf.

"Honestly, it would've been preferable if either one of us had transferred to Class 1-B. Unfortunately, due to a recent development that's been brought to light during the attack, the principal is taking precautions and believes it is within our best interest if we remained together for the time being until the issue has been resolved."

While some were confused about the news, I saw Iida from the corner of my eye giving my frame a quick scan before returning his attention to the front where he asked the underground, "Does this issue revolve around the drawback to Sengoku's quirk?"

I felt another pair of scorching eyes burning holes on the side of my head, but I resolutely kept my own gaze forward.

Just as no one could forget the terrible power I had within my grasp, no one could ignore the gruesome sight of my body afterwards when the burning brightness illuminating me was snuffed out like a gale to a dying candle. More than being crippled by agony, my flesh and muscles tore themselves apart as though a piece of fabric was being yanked towards opposite ends. If the beast didn't kill me, then my own quirk would finish the job.

Slowly, the ink-haired man nodded. "Yes."

Lies. Utter lies. The principal might have smiled amicably from behind the rim of his fancy tea cup, but the obsidian eyes trained on the ink-haired underground were like knives looming above vulnerable skin. He wanted to keep Aizawa close, to be informed of his movements and whereabouts while also becoming intimately familiar with his nighttime patrols. Aizawa was unhappy with the insinuation of being some sort of sell-out, but well...

Once bitten, twice shy as the saying goes.

"What happened was unprecedented, but that does not excuse how poorly I went about it."

Aizawa slowly took in the many faces of his students, each and every one that lived to see their next sunrise, until he momentarily paused in my direction. I did everything to convey just how much I despised him with every fiber of my being.

He looked away.

"My mistakes won't be enough to fix what happened before, but I will not take for granted the opportunities given to me to do better."

Like some sort of masochist wanting to get burned, his dark eyes fell on me again.

"And I _will_ do better."

What a load of crock, I thought.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"I can't believe they're finally opening the Sports Festival to the public after over a decade!"

"This is insane!"

More like suicide.

The announcement took everyone by surprise. It was all anyone could talk about besides the USJ incident, another thing that took everyone by a storm and left a trail of endless discussions until the next big thing came along.

Because of the recession, U.A. was forced to close itself off from the public (apparently, having their students' abilities televised was detrimental to their safety when out on their internships). The only people allowed inside were hero companies looking to recruit, business organizations searching for a new mascot for whatever product they wanted out, and families offering their own support. The only reason I even remembered the Sports Festival at all was because of Izuku. The little dork had a few old videos from when the veteran heroes were young, offering exciting commentary on how the then teenage heroes used their quirks.

Dad ended up turning it into a sort of guessing game, training our analytical minds on how one would use their quirk in both combat situations and obstacle courses. Dad would even sometimes put in little scenarios to make things a bit more interesting. Back then, I just thought he wanted to see how well me and Izuku could maneuver ourselves in imaginary scenarios... but then there was a feeling as I got older that he was probably trying to prepare us (or Izuku, rather).

But now, for the first time in so many years, the Sports Festival was opening itself to the public.

"This has bad idea written all over it." I mumbled in the background as I trailed after the rest of the chattering students.

Iida was leading the way towards the cafeteria while simultaneously policing the hallways for any runners. Uraraka was quickly spirited away to join Ashido, Kaminari, and Mineta, all three of them talking her ear off about being on live national television. Beyond the excited babble, others like me were deeply concerned about the idea of exposing ourselves to every port in social media. It made me wonder if this was really Principal Nedzu's doing or the public putting pressure on the school.

Were people still riding the highs on the story about the "miracle" Class 1-A?

These stupid people were going to be the death of us, I thought angrily.

"Sengoku-kun."

I stopped.

Their voice came out hushed, easily drowned out by the cacophony of students echoing up and down the long hallway, but still I was able to catch the familiar rumble. Tilting my head to the side, I peeked over my shoulder to find blond antennas sticking out of the corner of some shady-looking hallway.

Giving the retreating backs of my classmates a cursory glance, I changed directions and followed after the bulky man who gestured me to follow him. He and I probably had a lot to talk about regarding the opening of the Sports Festival.

Unbeknownst to me, heterochromic eyes watched me disappear around the corner with All Might.

Five minutes later found me sitting inside the teacher's lounge with All Might and—

"Sengoku."

Aizawa.

I didn't bother acknowledge him, more interested in making my way around the furniture of the room so I could take the couch that was placed far away from where the battered hobo was sitting. If Aizawa thought he could fix everything by putting on some stupid act, then he could shove that "olive branch" right back up his ass because I was done trying to be reasonable. I kept my head down, I bit back my words, I did the best I could to avoid him and yet that hadn't been enough for him. He was only in this position because he made his bed, so like hell I was going to give him any more of my time!

The number one hero wasn't all too happy about the new arrangements either, but the principal's word was law and it would be futile to try and fight against the inevitable. I would've thought the small mammal impressive in managing that had I not also gotten involved with this nonsense. However, unlike my silent glowering, the big man took it like a champ and focused on brewing tea for all three of us.

So for the next minute, we all just sat there in silence. Everyone avoided eye contact with each other, too preoccupied with glaring at things, staring blankly at walls, or observing the multiple tea brands sitting at the center of the coffee table

Watching All Might work, I could tell that he'd been spending an awful lot of time with Principal Nedzu. The man kept himself occupied when he gathered the tea cups, tapped the off button on the electric water boiler, and carefully poured steaming water in each individual cup. It helped him concentrate, to calm him down while simultaneously giving him time to gather himself when he finally addressed the rest of the occupants in the room.

If it was me, I would've probably chucked the boiling hot kettle at Aizawa's head (and All Might probably knew that, so he quickly took charge of the whole tea making business).

"As you were already informed in class, the Sports Festival will be open to the public in two weeks." All Might said as he pushed the tea cup my way.

"It was bad enough I gotta prance around like I'm inside a glorified gladiator arena, but now I gotta show my face in live television? _Right after a villain attack_?"

I wanted to tear my own hair out from the frustration building up inside me like a disease spreading its sickness. Class 1-A had barely survived by the skin of their teeth when we all had been tossed into the frying pan, but now everyone was expecting us to walk away unscathed from the fire that was raging ahead of us.

"Did they all conveniently forget that one of the reasons why we even survived the attack was because the villains didn't know all our quirks?!"

"That's because the media coverage over the attack on USJ has drawn curious eyes." Aizawa said. "Including eyes from outside the country."

Briefly forgetting my anger issues, I stared at the ink-haired man in bewilderment.

" _What_?"

"While it's true that Yaoyorozu is getting the most coverage across the nation, you've piqued the interest of several curious onlookers outside of Japan." All Might explained. "They recognize you as Grete's son."

 _As the old man's grandson_ , All Might meant to say.

"They want to use the Sports Festival as an opportunity to gain back lost contact with the outside world." I murmured as I caught on to what they were telling me. "With enough attention it might even stir the interest of foreign companies to get in contact with us again."

"Yes." Aizawa confirmed.

The mammal's insane proposal was a huge gambling risk that could make or break the entire nation, but it was an opportunity he couldn't turn away if it meant there was a chance to bring prosperity back into their hands. Just because things were alright now didn't mean they could be better. As of this moment, it wouldn't be excited citizens and murderous opportunists tuning in—it was quite literally the rest of the world.

In other words, I needed to put on a good show.

I needed to give the foreign companies a reason to be invested in Japan. Gunnarsen Bastard I may be, but I was still of the old man's kin and that was probably enough to draw them in like scavengers to a fresh corpse.

 _'Round and 'round the shadows in the red sky went._

"Alright then." I spoke after a long pause. "Game on."

"Sengoku-kun," All Might sighed. "We're not really sure if this plan will work, so please don't try to overdo it when you use One for All."

"Oh, I'm not gonna use One for All in the Sports Festival." I deadpanned as I took a sip of my tea.

So startled by the announcement, the blond spat a fountain of blood until he got it under control. Aizawa just blinked.

"How do you mean?!" the blond sputtered as he quickly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the blood from his mouth.

Leaning further back against the comfortable couch, I allowed my spine to relax as I took another sip of the warm tea All Might made for me. After a few gulps, I set the empty ceramic cup down.

"Call me paranoid, but that dude with the freaky hand fetish seemed to act as if he knew you were losing your powers." I clarified to the elder. "I mean, didn't he admit that the Nōmu was created to take you out? It could regenerate and take a punch from One for All. Sure, in the end it failed and we all made it out okay, but sometimes I look back and wonder..."

"About what?"

I shrugged. "That maybe the whole point of the fight was to expose All Might on how much time he had left in his muscle form."

Both All Might and Aizawa perked up from their seats in alarm, shock written over their eyes. The idea obviously hadn't been considered yet, but going by the shared looks they exchanged with each other, the topic would be sure to make an appearance in the next joint meeting between the police department and the school staff.

The circumstances hadn't been ideal (far from it), but it was something that ended up saving All Might and his secret. If my little theory remotely held a grain of truth behind it, the monster's regenerative quirk would've worked until it tired the older man and eventually exposed him for all the world to see. Maybe All Might would've won the fight given his stubbornness and fierce need to protect everyone from danger, but it wouldn't have prevented the villains from making off with valuable information. Yes, there was no doubt that the experience would haunt everyone's nightmares, but there was a bigger picture to consider.

Unconsciously, my hand fell over the sport where the Nōmu left it's permanent mark. From the other side of the table, All Might's shoulders grew rigid as he recalled the memory of the horrendous scene he came upon. Victory was ours that day, but the way it was achieved left a lot to be desired.

"Try to keep your quirk usage to a minimum from now on, All Might." Aizawa cautioned, breaking the tense silence between us. "Your time limit's been reduced to less than two hours. Make them count."

"Right." All Might flexed his hands. "I could feel the embers of One for All slowly dying."

Eyeing the movement of his scrawny fingers, I was once again reminded of the impending horizon waiting for me. The day in which All Might's era was over and his burden would fall onto me. The blond was obviously not going to make it to the end of the year as he originally assumed, not when he was no longer the vessel of One for All. It was only a matter of time until the remainder of his power finally gave out.

Noticing the grim look on my face, the blond smiled at me. "Don't you worry, Sengoku-kun! You're still stuck with this old man!"

My eyes fell to the floor. Why couldn't he have waited a little longer in giving it to me? I could have passed the entrance exams without One for All, granted I'd have to get creative in how to deal with the zero pointer robot, but if it meant All Might had enough time to carry his power then I wouldn't have minded at all.

All Might's eyes widened when he caught the time on his watch. "You better get to the cafeteria quick, young man. Don't wanna miss your lunch, do you?"

Knowing a dismissal, I grunted a small "later" to All Might and left the teacher's lounge.

Listening to my footsteps fade, and waiting another minute more to make it so I wouldn't catch anything with my keen hearing, Aizawa turned to All Might.

"What else aren't you telling us?"

The older blond heaved a sigh, pushing himself to stand up from the couch they both shared to walk closer towards the window. In the distance, he could see construction being done on the USJ training facility.

"Is there someone out there—someone particularly dangerous—who knows about your injury?" Aizawa demanded. "You remember what the principal said about Shigaraki, don't you? The villain may have the behavior of a cantankerous man-child, but he's someone who's possibly being guided to commit atrocities."

"It doesn't matter." All Might sternly retorted.

"The hell it doesn't matter...!"

"He's _dead_ ," All Might's electric blues pinned the darker man in his spot. "I made sure of it."

A stunned silence engulfed the teacher's lounge.

...

It wasn't unusual for me to hear people going about their way when they walked down the hall to reach the staircase (or hitch a ride in the elevators), but it was a bit disconcerting to hear those footsteps stop outside the door of the classroom.

With school over for the day, it was time for everyone to leave and head on home.

However...

"W-what's going on?!"

In order to do so, we needed to get past the mob of onlookers.

I felt myself bristling at the multiple faces peering through our door, inspecting us like a bunch of curious little children examining an exotic animal in a zoo. Uraraka, who had opened the door to step out and head home, looked overwhelmed by the attention. Iida was up on his feet, already shouting orders for the mob to disperse quickly because they were blocking the hallways and preventing people from getting through.

"What the hell do these people want?!" Mineta cried nervously.

"They're scoping out the competition, you idiot." Bakugō retorted. "We're the class who faced a full scale attack from a horde of villains and lived to kick ass another day."

Our survival of the event not only gained a lot of attention (alongside some international), but it seemed to have fanned the hope in peoples hearts as much when they saw All Might leaping across cityscapes. I understood their admiration a little, but it was still a ridiculous idea that they wanted to throw caution in the wind just so they could see us beat each other bloody. My only hope was that this Sports Festival didn't come back to bite our asses.

"Now that you've all seen what a future Pro hero looks like... Outta the way, _extras_!"

" _Wow_. You really have a way with words, don't you?" I sarcastically remarked from behind Bakugō.

"Shut it, crybaby!"

"I thought the _miracle_ class was suppose to be impressive, but as per usual in the case of people hyping it up—" a new voice breaks the murmuring of the mob, pushing through the bodies until they stood in front of our door before us. "The real deal ends up being a huge let down."

In front of me, I could smell the growing toxicity pouring out of the ash blond as he glowered from his spot. Thankfully, he was coherent enough not to unleash his little explosions and instead focused his death glare on the newcomer.

Standing at the entrance was a tall kid with wild indigo hair which made me wonder if he used a leaf blower to get it to look like that. He also looked as though he didn't get much sleep from how baggy his eyes were. Was it a quirk thing or did he really have little hours of sleep time to himself? Not only that, but there was something about the stranger who pulled at all sorts of strings in my brain.

Had I come across this guy somewhere in person? Or was he another face I saw in the story? Only time could tell at this point.

"So this is Class 1-A, huh?" the indigo-haired guy huffed as his violet eyes rolled over the faces of my classmates. "Some of you might have the power to back it up, but don't get too comfortable in your seats just yet."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Kaminari wondered out loud.

"Oh, don't you know? The Sports Festival serves another purpose besides promoting their best and finest," a slow grin made itself known on the other boy's lips. "It's an opportunity for those rejected from the practical exams to be transferred into the hero course."

" _What_?!"

Many years ago when the subject of the entrance exams came up, Izuku told me how he had a back up plan in case things didn't pan out so well for him. Should the physical labor prove too much for him, he had a better chance in rising the ranks if he started from the General Education classes. The Sports Festival would be his second wind in showing people he could stand with the rest of the kids in the hero course.

"Can they really do that?" came Sero's inquiry from the background.

"You must remember that this is U.A. High School, an establishment well known for producing only the best," Tokoyami gravely reminded everyone. "So of course it would make sense that if you're not up to their standards in both on and off the field—"

"You can kiss your hero course studies goodbye." Shōji finished.

"Now you're gettin' it," the indigo-haired boy sardonically grinned at us. "Good to know not all of you are a bunch of meatheads like hot-shot and rōnin over there."

While it was easy to figure that the hot-shot slur was directed to Bakugō, the rōnin comment made me pause a little. Confused, my tangerine orbs scoped around the faces of my class to find which one of my classmates screamed "samurai" material. In the end, the tie came down between Yaoyorozu and Todoroki. There was just something about their presence that gave me vibes of classical Edo period courtly figures I sometimes saw on historical drama shows from the television.

"He means _you_ , jackass!" Bakugō snapped at me when he saw how I was looking around in confusion.

I blinked.

"Oh."

I was the "student" who clocked his own "master". The rōnin.

"I think the correct term you're looking for is berserker."

From my understanding of the term, rōnins were these calm and poetic figures often depicted in old Japanese literature and artworks; the warriors who lost their way the moment they lost their masters for one reason or another. I was anything but calm and poetic. Majority of the time, all I felt was anger, and when that wasn't enough, I was felt exhausted because of life's continuous efforts to bullshit me at every turn. Berserkers were people built from fury and madness, and well, didn't that serve as a better description of me on some level?

It had be better than being compared to some stuffy samurai noble.

My correction got me a few odd looks from both my classmates and the mob of students still standing awkwardly outside the large door. The indigo-haired kid merely rose a single brow before dismissing me with a scoff of, "Whatever."

Oh, right. This dude was in the middle of threatening us, can't interrupt something as important as that.

"Everyone can look all they want, but I'm only here for one thing. This is my declaration of war to you ego maniacs," the baggy-eyed boy announced. "You better show me what you've got 'cause I'm not afraid to knock you lot off your high pedestal and take it for myself."

"The balls on this guy..." Kaminari whispered under his breath. I nearly snorted when I detected the hint of awe in the idiot blond's tone.

"HEY YOU!"

All at once, everyone's eyes and heads whipped towards the source of noise to find a silver-haired guy who had odd-looking frames surrounding his eyes. He seemed to be struggling in the background, but seeing as he wasn't going to get any closer to the entrance of the door like the indigo-haired kid, he had to make do with shouting verbal abuse to get his point across.

"I'M FROM CLASS 1-B AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU GUYS YOU AIN'T NOTHING BUT HOT AIR!" he continued to bark from where he stood. "TALK ALL YOU WANT, BUT WE'LL SWEEP THE FLOOR WITH YOU ON _LIVE TELEVISION_!"

" _Ugh_." I groaned as I face palmed myself.

I was so ready to crash in my bed once I got home.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

With the ever looming date creeping closer, everyone's schedules got a little hectic. Studies and homework came out lighter than usual because the teachers knew everyone would be too busy training their butts off, yet I got a feeling that we all were going to be paying for it afterwards when the event was done and over with. In the mean time, a lot of my classmates spent a heavy amount of time out in the training fields, gyms, and occasionally in the library.

As for me...

"Excuse me? Are you suggesting I give you illegal medical treatment?"

"No!" I backpedaled from Recovery Girl's narrowed eyes. "That's not... that didn't come out right!"

"Explain yourself."

Blowing a sigh, I carefully went over the words in my mind before pushing them past my lips. Hopefully this time, they won't make me out to be some sort of plastic surgery addict trying to cheat his way through the competition.

"Okay, so remember when you said I had to train my body in order for it to catch up to One for All's speed?" I paused to get a nod of confirmation from Recovery Girl. "Well, it got me thinking and I was wondering if you could help me out. I need some advice. Medical advice. I can't go to mom because of _reasons_."

"I see. What kind of help do you need from me then?"

"Can you explain to me how Ashido's quirk works?"

The doctor blinked at me in a dumbfounded manner. " _Ashido's_ quirk?"

I could not emphasize how many years it's been since I last saw a page or animated image of One Piece along with it's plot and characters. In the early years of my new life, one of my regrets was not living long enough to see how the story came to its conclusion. I'd like to believe that in the end, Luffy got what he wanted upon reaching the place called One Piece, all the while sharing his accomplishment with his pirate crew.

Anyway, the point of this little experiment was to fill in the blank spots in my memories for how Luffy was able to upgrade his abilities to perform the feats I remembered him doing. One of the major power ups I remembered most was Luffy being able to increase his speed, but the method of how it was actually done eluded me. Thus, my current predicament: figuring out the functions of Second Gear so I could make it work for my own quirk.

Which was why I found myself observing Ashido one day during our trips to the gym/training grounds scattered across the campus.

Like the battle simulation everyone partook, I remembered her movements being fluid as though she was a professional acrobat straight out of Cirque du Seoul which spoke years of training. I could actually imagine the pinkette having come from a gymnastics club or something.

The pinkette was quick, agile, flexible, and packed quite the punch when the opportunity arose. Studying her a little more intently, I discovered a few things I was unable to catch since her battle trial had taken place in another different location from the rest of us. Her pulse was more rapid compared to the average person, she also radiated a lot of warmth which explained why her skin gave off a pinkish hue (she was literally hot-blooded).

Previously perceived as someone who was diagnosed with ADHD, I figured that maybe her perky and energetic attitude was the fault of her own quirk. Her feverish body temperature and quickened heartbeat turned her into this hyper aware creature, causing Ashido to be somewhat more alert of her surroundings and had quick reflexes to react. These qualities would do her some good later on in her hero career.

It was there that an idea suddenly blossomed from watching the pinkette.

Not letting go of the inspiration, I didn't waste time in hurrying towards the nurse's office.

"You want to try and replicate Ashido's body temperature?!"

"Exactly."

The day stretched on as I continued to spend the rest of my time inside the nurse's office where she and I exchange theories and possibilities back and forth on how my quirk could accomplish such a feat. She was skeptical of the idea, but the more I persisted on the idea, the less reluctant she became until she finally threw her hands up and promised to make a few calls to her professional colleagues. Given a stern warning not to pull anything dangerous in the mean time, and to not get my hopes up if nothing came up, I was dismissed and sent on my way.

Everyone was working themselves to the bone. A few moaned about the ache in their muscles, some curiously poking at their bruises and small cuts from whenever they had been out in the city blocks training, but I could tell they were more than ready for whatever the Sports Festival would throw at them.

I could smell how excited they all felt.

One for All would be skipping out on the Sports Festival, but maybe the event would finally grant me the opportunity I needed to keep the viewers on edge. Besides, it could also serve as my own little message to the villains out there watching us.

Last time might've ended with us getting a lucky hit, but next time—we would go for the throat.


	22. Chapter III: Lithium

**A/N:** Hey ya'all, I'm sorry I'm late but a lot of stuff happened that needed my attention. By the way, in case anyone hasn't noticed yet—I fixed **CHAPTER NINETEEN **which is now available for reading, but now I'm gonna have to rewrite CHAPTER _ELEVEN_ from scratch due to dearest author's error in replacing updated chapters. I swear to God, I'm gonna have to start filing away these chapters in my other files because now I'm just freaking paranoid for mistakes like these repeating over and over again. Jesus...

Anyway, besides getting swept away by other fandoms that have started to garner my interest, I've also been hit with some family emergencies: my poor papa is in the hospital. Not to worry, it's nothing life threatening (or at least, as far as we're aware of), just that he's gotta get some surgery to fix the problem that's taking place around his intestines. Apparently, from what dear old dad said, he believes that a surgery from 30+ years back is the cause of why his intestines are spilling out of the sac that's keeping them in place. He had been experiencing a lot of abdominal pain and stuff lately. But the problem is his doctor is away on vacation, and my uncle doesn't trust any other doctor to look after him so we gotta wait till Monday for the doc to come in.

Only to find out that dad could go home.

... _Ugh_.

At least he's okay now, he's still a bit sick but he's doing a lot better. There's talk that he might need to go back to the hospital to get the surgery done, but we're not really sure—that and nobody wants to have money blown for nothing. I swear to God, we need a miracle for the medicare issue because thousands of dollars spent just for waiting to get some diagnosis is utterly ridiculous.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter because the next one is an announcement!

 _ **Prince,**_ So much salt in this one! First you were all for murdering Bakugō/Kamitsuku, but now you're cheering for them to be Kuzan's buddies! I'm getting some serious whiplash and mixed signals here, my bruh!

 _ **ReadingnerdOtaku,**_ Oddly enough, I hadn't realized it until I was writing this scene out that Kuzan really was unconsciously reaching out for help, and Iida had to be the one to point this out to me and everyone else on how many times people saved Kuzan's butt from trouble. As for Aizawa, that dude is a bag of complicated mess, something I barely touched upon back in Chapter Nineteen. Because as much as we love canon Aizawa and his apathetic appearance, this Aizawa grew up like a child soldier forced into the front lines and having to deal with some serious repercussions behind closed doors.

Aizawa made plenty of mistakes he would've been willing to pay for, and he knows he definitely screwed the pooch when he ignored the warnings, but he's definitely stewing in his own juices when he faced the distrust coming from not only the principal and All Might, but a handful of his students as well. But there's something about him that gives me vibes that he's more likely to make up for his mistakes through actions (being a cold and indifferent co-worker to All Might before opening himself a little after the Kamino Ward incident). Aizawa's got a lot of work to do in order to gain back the trust and respect he lost from his peers and students.

 _ **Jaguarian76,**_ It's understandable from Kuzan's viewpoint that Aizawa did everyone wrong with his hasty actions which put his students in danger, but he missed how his classmates didn't step in which meant they too couldn't take his claims seriously. Let me confirm that yes, Kuzan is going to gain the abilities of _all_ Gears, but we are a long ways before we reach Fourth Gear. Again, I don't want to hurry things along because it would kind of ruin the pacing of the story and OP characters are kind of plain boring (unless they're done right). How Kuzan confronts Stain and the LoV, you need to wait and find out just like everyone else! ;)

 _ **Drunkle Qrow,**_ I just felt Ashido Mina's quirk was the closest inspiration I could get for Kuzan to unlock the secrets of the Second Gear technique. If you read her information and sprinkle a little bit of scientific bullshit, you could turn her into something interesting which subsequently helped Kuzan understand how he could transform his body to perform how he envisions it. You have to remember that this is no longer a devil fruit power but an ability I want to fit within reason inside the BNHA/MHA universe. Kind of like how his Sentinel quirk kind of replaces Luffy's observation haki.

 _ **BigBlimpin,**_ I saw the Captain Marvel movie and while I liked the movie, I can understand that there were moments that came off pretty strong and it didn't help how the actress made tasteless comments that kind of veered dangerously towards SJW material. I mean, there are moments in the movie where people can understand about being told that they can't accomplish anything because they're deemed weak or can't handle whatever, but at the same time I liked how these experiences felt shared with certain people in the audience. It made me remember the times where I was told how I wasn't allowed to do things like my brother could, and there was also this time when some stranger I didn't know told me to smile. Why the hell would I smile for you? I don't know you therefore I don't owe you a damn thing. In a way, this story is kind of like sharing my real life experiences, just not drastically as Kuzan's but enough where you understand and sympathize with people who were unfairly told they can't do anything and therefore cannot go far in life (or told how they should behave and such). Because like Kuzan, I don't like being talked down to, and like him, I will do things out of goddamn spite to prove those people wrong.

 _ **This Muse,**_ I'm kind of trying to convey how some things over the years will begin to lessen, like a law that's been put up before years of advancement made it outdated (kind of like how at one point in history, it was against the law to marry outside of your race until years of social movement called out its racist bullcrap). It's been almost twenty years and at this point, small companies have grown in leaps and bounds, therefore this'll be the perfect opportunity for Japan to make a move and Nedzu is doing it with Aksel's own grandson (kind of a like flipping the bird at the old vulture). It's not going to be a heavy subject right now, but in the future it will play an important factor. Also, fair warning: my understanding of politics is more hand-wavey than expertise, so prepare for a lot of holes in this story.

 _ **redskin122004,**_ Yes! The Sports Festival thing at first was exciting, but looking at it objectively, it was stupid, too! How could anyone broadcast people's powers on live television? I mean, look what happened in the Provision Hero License arc where everyone was bombarded with attacks by multiple schools because those kids watched them from their Sports Festival tournament! Just because All Might's around to protect them in canon doesn't mean the school should take stupid risks like that! Anyway, in this universe, the opening of the Sports Festival was more a move on gaining attention outside the country than inside (risky as fuck, but they had to take a chance to get the ball rolling).

 _ **QuestingforBitches,**_ My bruh, who said I was talking about Toga? ~ ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ

 ** _Lightsbane1905,_ **Years of being bullied, ostracized, blamed, and assaulted can warp people's minds no matter how functional they were in a previous lifetime. It's kind of like how people were once normal pre-relationship until their partner messed them up so bad that they don't know how to trust or interact with people without feeling suspicious and/or wary. My sister was once in an abusive relationship and it took many years for her to trust another man who wanted to have a romantic relationship with her. She was always expecting the guy to snap at her, to hurt her, to talk shit to her. So yeah, life pretty much messed up Kuzan.

 _ **REX559,**_... Okay, let me see if I got this right. Yaoyorozu, not condescending or being cold to Kuzan like she used to be before USJ, is asking why Aizawa should get that treatment when the same should have been applied to her her and the rest of Class 1-A who, may I remind you, did absolutely _NOTHING_ when Kuzan was trying to warn them of the danger. And going by _YOUR_ logic, shouldn't Iida, who was chastising Kuzan for his actions, also be refereed to as an ungrateful whore? My bro, you need reading glasses.

 _ **Shoytahn,**_ Well bud, sometimes we love what he hate. What can ya do? ¯\\_(ヅ)_/¯

 _ **Raven Mordrake,**_ I see what you mean. To be clear, Kuzan never stated that he saw Iida and Uraraka as friends, he mostly sees them as allies that won't give him a hard time. This all started because he saved Uraraka/inspired Iida during the entrance exams and this in turn allowed the pair to save him when he was about to be rejected by the school. For now, they're all simply balancing each other, still working out the kinks of their relationship. As for your beef about Kuzan following Izuku's footsteps, I want you to look at the summary and read it out loud, it's pretty much self explanatory.

 _ **Mori,**_ Please don't sock me, just love me. ( ˘ ³˘)~*

 ** _GreasyAlchemist,_** This story is a black vortex that sucks out the willpower of anyone who reads this. You can never escape it now *cue maniacal laughter*.

 _ **alexanderjuarez499,**_ The public's hatred for the Sengoku's is akin to Naruto being the container of the Kyuubi? Yes, I'll admit that this scenario is similar, but that's where the similarities end. Unlike the happy-go-lucky Naruto who uses the power of friendship to knock sense and earn the approval of the people who treated him like trash, Kuzan is an angry, bitter, and venomous person who likes to be left alone and is not afraid to get nasty towards people. You could say he acts like the young version of Portgas D. Ace, but without the daddy issues (more like granddaddy issues, tbh).

 _ **Raincheck,**_ This whole story is the very definition of "It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better". And honey I'm just getting _started_!

 ** _PiromaniacKabold,_** It's a difficult and complicated mess when it comes to building up characters like Kuzan and trying to explain the ripple effect with the rest of society, but I'm pretty proud of how it turned out and I'm glad people liked it. People are so used to watching everything turn out alright when they watch the anime that they believe nothing could go wrong, so when I started writing this, I thought... "what could I do to make everything go wrong?", and the rest was history.

 _ **A Fan Brrrr,**_ Damn bruh, chill out. Lol, thanks for sticking around and for the long review, I appreciate it.

 _ **Kxiao,**_ That's the Chaos Theory for you. I also wanted to take a crack at the whole "everyone in my village hates me" trope because other fics are just ridiculous with their reasons (the person was born with a weird hair/eye color, they were born during a disaster, they share a resemblance to some person, etc.). I mean, if I'm going to make people hate on my character, It's gotta be a good reason. Yes, Izuku had it rough growing up because he was quirkless, but his mom didn't make an executive order to cease all trade and ties with a country, leaving it to decline and destroy itself from the inside as thousands perished while the crime rate skyrocketed.

 **Disclaimer:** Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter III: Part II**

 **.**

* * *

"My god, I don't know whether I should be excited or scared."

"Well, there's gonna be villains watching, so..."

"Why is it when we talk about things regarding life and death situations, you always treat it like it's a boring subject to fall asleep to?"

"I didn't get much sleep last night."

Difficult to catch any sleep when you were too busy counting the time of how many hours you were away from going to an event which pushed people to the extreme. U.A.'s motto personified. What was even more daunting was the millions of eyes watching our every move, something I was not looking forward to, but there was no way I could skip out of a mandatory event like the Sports Festivals. Even students who weren't aiming to be heroes were forcefully roped into it.

To me, that felt more like a humiliating move than a show of unity between schoolmates.

Dad and I watched mom as she puttered back and forth around the kitchen looking for whatever snack she could stuff inside my already full lunch box. Dad said he and Taishirō had enough money to order a banquet of take-out food, but she wasn't having it. She stuffed my lunch box with the fruits I liked and the ones I needed which she turned into a fruit salad, chopped bits of cooked salmon mixed with carrots, avocados, and spinach, several cups of Greek yogurt, a sealed cup of almond milk, and a few sandwiches stuffed with scrambled eggs.

"Here you go!" mom huffed as she clicked the heavy lunch box shut and promptly dropped it in my awaiting arms. "For my darling~!"

"Thanks mom."

Her hands fell on my biceps and I made sure to keep my eyes glued to the collar of her pale neck

"You be careful out there, okay? Do what you can but don't force yourself into something you don't like."

"I don't like a lot of things." I pointed out to her.

"You know what I mean."

Her and dad were not keen on the idea of their son being used as a mascot to gain the attention of outside viewers. It was true that there was a chance that I might stoke the interest of outside business corporations due to my relations with the Gunnarsen patriarch, but that also meant enduring tons of negative attention from the rest of the nation. My parents wanted me far away from the spotlight yet the school was willing to put me at center stage for their own benefit. It's one thing to understand the logic and motive of the school, it's another to actually follow through with the principal's plan.

Another insight of the hero culture: was this how they all felt in the beginning? Were they too forced to do things in the name of gaining public support and interest?

 _'Jesus.'_

With a small peck on the cheek, mom watched us go as dad and I headed off for U.A. where our robust cousin would be waiting. At first I felt a bit of surprise because this would be the first time my any of my family members would be attending something public (because, ya know, _reasons_ ), but then I remembered that the school went to great lengths to ensure the safety for both their audience and students.

Tons of Pro heroes from all around Musutafu gathered to keep a vigilant eye both outside and inside the stadiums. If the villains planned on pulling a repeat then _they_ would be the ones facing a horde of heroes raining down on them.

So when a request for assistance came to their respective desks, neither of the men hesitated to accept the job. It was kind of reassuring to know that they would be there, making sure things sailed smoothly for a lot of people while the rest of us concentrated on beating the snot out of each other inside the glorified gladiator arena.

But then last night's phone call between us reminded me of how excited the two men were in watching me throw hands with a bunch of other kids. The old man claimed it was all about feeling a sense of catharsis in the action, but I knew better than to believe his pack of lies.

A crowded train ride later, dad and I made our way through the heavily occupied streets. As always, heroes acted like security personal, overseeing the vetting of the people who came to watch the Sports Festival. Dad and I easily got through the sea of bodies when I flashed my student ID at them, the two of us finally reaching the school's entrance where we had to force our way through no thanks to the people surrounding it.

"Bad enough they do this every day before and after school..." I complained as I fixed my ruffled uniform.

"Can't exactly blame them for their excitement," dad said as he too fixed his suit. "This was closed off from the public for nearly twenty years. It's like one of those lifetime experiences."

"Witnessing a solar eclipse is a lifetime experience. Traveling to an exotic paradise you never thought you'd get to visit is a lifetime experience." I pointed at the giant stadium that stood way out from the main campus area. "Watching a bunch of kids kick each other's asses ain't a lifetime experience. You can find plenty of those if you take a walk around the urban areas."

"My goodness, the absolute sass! You definitely got that from your mom!" dad guffawed from behind me.

Upon reaching the school's entrance where it served as another security checkpoint, dad and I showed off our own ID's (dad whipping out his police badge) to the security guards who gave us the go-ahead. From there, I had to go inside the school to the changing room where I would exchange my uniform for my school tracksuit whereas dad would be meeting up with Taishirō near the first-year stadium's security center.

"We'll be rooting for ya!" dad said one last time while giving me a cheesy thumbs up. I merely shook my head at him, waving as I left him behind to disappear with the rest of the bustling security officials and heroes.

...

As expected, the atmosphere was caked with nervous energy and suspense.

That loudmouth from Class 1-B may have been talking shit, but his words got to most of the kids and now everyone was trying not to think about the implication that a mistake or fumble from them would end up damaging their reputation. Nobody here wanted to become the laughing stock as the whole nation would be expecting a lot from the miracle class. With fame came the pressure of having to live up to their names.

Such was the unfortunate case of Mineta, who broke out into a cold sweat as the time for the opening drew ever closer. Jesus, the event hadn't even started yet and already the midget looked like he was five seconds away from having a mental breakdown.

Thankfully, Uraraka noticed and decided to intervene by pulling the sphere-headed boy into a conversation on whether or not the Sports Festival was possibly rigged. Asui and Tokoyami had doubts, but Uraraka was pretty convinced otherwise. It didn't help that Ashido jokingly fed into the brunette's paranoia how shady businessmen would try to secretly recruit aspiring heroes to the dark side (I didn't want to say, but there had been a few rare cases when such a thing happened). True to Uraraka's ability to make the best of a dire situation, Mineta gradually came down to his senses and buried himself in the discussion.

On the other side of the room, Kaminari continued to prove what an idiot he was by spending his time irritating the shit out of Bakugō. Kirishima, being a useless bystander, just laughed at their antics. At another table situated safely away from the ash blond's explosive range, Satō, Kōda, Shōji, and Hagakure bantered back and forth about what to expect from the trials. If I remembered correctly, dad said that all the previous Sports Festivals from the past were random for the first two rounds until the last one which was all about kids duking it out (as most tournament arcs usually did). Not only was the random selection thing suppose to keep everyone on their toes, but it prevented people like Iida, Todoroki, and I, kids who had relatives that graduated from U.A., from having an advantage over our own classmates.

My eyes wandered around the room for a bit, briefly pausing on Yaoyorozu who was talking to Sero about breathing techniques then moving on to spot Jirō texting on her phone while listening to her playlist. Meanwhile, Aoyama was pretending to be accosted by the paparazzi therefore he deemed it was important to practice in front of a mirror on how to appear aesthetically pleasing for the photographers. At least he wasn't on the verge of cracking under pressure. Ojiro was also doing his own thing, flexing the muscles of his scar-riddled tail. It healed up nicely enough, and the scars gave the blond teen an interesting look that would probably do him some good out in the field.

After we had changed into our tracksuit uniforms, a security guard escorted us to the spacious waiting room we were currently occupying, preparing for the official grand opening. Iida had slipped out earlier to get some answers, probably to bug the people about how we ought to present ourselves, but I seriously doubted anyone would care about that, so it left the rest of us to laze about without getting henpecked by the bespectacled boy.

"This is totally not a good idea. The school just got attacked and we're still doing the Sports Festival?! This is insane!" Mineta complained. "What if there's another surprise attack from the League of Villains?"

"No way! Those guys wouldn't try that in a stadium littered with Pro heroes." Kirishima shook his head while reassuring the smaller teen. "That'd be pretty stupid."

"So was attacking a school in broad daylight." Tokoyami pointed out.

"Well, I mean...!" the redhead floundered. "That was just one time!"

"All it takes is for one time and everybody is going to get a head full of ideas." Asui supplied.

Stricken with fear from the idea, the sphere-headed midget lost all composure and proceeded to angrily lash out by snapping at the others for scaring the crap out of everyone with all this talk of possible attacks to the school, completely ignoring the fact that he had been the one to bring it up in the first place. Tuning out the small commotion, my mind wandered back in time to an old yet familiar place where I was just a simple college student sharing the same space with a goofy but well-meaning baseball player.

My attention to details was troublesome, something that would've saved me a lot of grief had I payed any attention to the story, but I remembered watching the Sports Festival with my dorm mate and his pack of teammates. Helping him rearrange the furniture to create enough space to accommodate the incoming guests, it wasn't long when they arrived, surging inside the moment the door opened. They brought all kinds of snacks: chips, snacks, and sodas, anything to occupy our mouths. It was kind of funny to think about them, recalling the excitement they expressed which reminded me of rabid fans watching the Superbowl or FIFA World Cup. I could still remember how loud everyone was, cheering for the freckle-faced maniac.

Knowing what I knew now, I was pretty certain that Izuku would've taken on this event. He'd be wired as hell, but if it meant being closer to his goal of becoming a hero, by God he would jump straight for it without hesitation—Plus Ultra style.

I barely reacted to the door bursting open, revealing Iida. With how long he had disappeared on us, I vaguely wondered if his return meant he was successful in gathering information or if the staff got sick of his pestering. Perhaps this was the karate boy's unique way of trying to expel the nervous energy had had bundled up inside: always keeping himself in motion. I supposed that new proverb about quirks matching the characteristics of the person wasn't too far off the mark.

"Everyone, put your game faces on! We'll be heading out in less than five minutes!"

Once the announcement registered their brains, the other either took time to mentally prepare themselves or adjust their tracksuits so it wouldn't hinder their quirks. Iida was folding his track pants until they were above his knees, allowing room for his engines. Yaoyorozu pulled her zipper down until it came below her chest in case she needed to rip it off when the situation called for it.

Wordlessly, I claimed a vacant bench for myself and started to look over the shoelaces of my brand new Nike shoes. It was a silly thing to worry about, but better to be safe than sorry. While concentrating on looping the bunny ears together to tie a double knot, I heard someone approaching. I didn't pay them any mind at first, assuming it was some poor kid simply pacing around like some fluttering bird trapped inside a claustrophobic cage—until their shadowy silhouette paused over my bent form.

Wondering just who in the hell was standing over me like a goddamn creep, I turned my head to look up. Lo and behold, it was the candy cane king himself: Todoroki.

"Sengoku," came his utterly flat greeting.

"Todoroki." I returned, my voice equally dispassionate.

For a few long seconds, he and I both eyes each other like two beasts circling one another from inside the small space of a cage. Somewhere in the back of our brains, the part where it was all animal and instinct, we both recognized each other as dangerous predators. Whatever Todoroki's intentions were in approaching me, I could only watch and wait for him to make the first move. Because of my focus on the dual-haired boy, it took me awhile to realize that something was amiss in the room.

The chatter, I noticed, it was gone.

A quick cursory glance told me what I already knew: everyone was watching us.

However, what I didn't expect was the apprehension coming from everyone inside the room. Usually—in my past experience, at least—kids who thought there was going to be a brawl breaking out between two guys felt anticipation and excitement, but everyone here looked like they were ready to pounce on us in case Todoroki and I tried to throw hands with one another. I could practically _feel_ Iida about to storm over if anyone so much as twitched the wrong way. Bewildered as I was, once again my blame for the high emotions running amok inside the spacious locker room fell on the Sports Festival.

A lot of hearts were drumming rapidly all around.

"I don't know what's going on between you and All Might," Todoroki began as he continued to stare down at me like a giant statue threatening to topple over and flatten me like a pancake. "But there's no mistake—you've definitely caught his eye."

I frowned at him.

"What? You want his autograph or something?" I scoffed at him while turning back to my Nike's so I could finish tying the double knots on them. "Nobody's stopping you."

"What I want, Sengoku, is for you to know this:" his mismatched eyes and my tangerine hues locked together as he delivered his declaration. "I'm going to beat you."

There was a pregnant pause that filled the room, so quiet did it become that anyone would be able to hear a pin drop as though they themselves developed a keen hearing like a couple of their sensitive-hearing classmates. To all the ones watching and listening, the words of the dual-haired boy made it clear what his intentions were: a challenge between two of the strongest boys of their class. Because although Todoroki had entered their school through high recommendations (thanks to his father), no one could deny the record breaking high scores made during the entrance exams.

Power versus Power. Simple as that.

Kirishima and Kaminari, the two who shared a table with Bakugō, took notice of how uncharacteristically still and quiet the ash blond boy had become as he watched the powerful pair face off. Instead of the usual scowl or snarl permanently stuck to his face, he appeared to be completely stoic. Did Bakugō feel slighted for being overlooked by two of the strongest guys in class? If so, then the ash blond was the perfect personification of calm before the storm. With the promise of wreckage and destruction coming their way, the blond and redhead knew that this year's Sports Festival was definitely going to be something that would make the entire nation sit on the edge of their seats.

A mad cackle broke the dead silence.

It came off as low and raspy at first, but with each growing crescendo, everyone could make out the malice and cruelty imbued behind the laughter. The sound echoed around the locker room, becoming more cringing and aggravating to the person who did not take kindly to such blatant disrespect. Todoroki watched as I laughed and laughed, the noise slowly dying down once I gradually composed myself.

His glacial-like eyes tracked my hand when it extended out to give him a pat on the shoulder. The action alone caused everyone to literally feel the entire room become a few degrees colder, their skin breaking out in pimpled goosebumps. A nasty shit-eating grin stretches itself across my face, all teeth and sharp edges aimed towards the heterochromic-eyed boy. I took twisted delight in watching how the other boy became increasingly unsettled by my open scorn and ridicule, but the fun was cut short when Iida had enough of the pissing contest.

"That's enough, you two!" Iida snapped as he quickly made his way over to push me and Todoroki apart. "You're already on thin ice, so refrain yourself from taking any more chances! This sort of attitude with each other is unbecoming!"

"And right before the opening, too." Ojiro griped through his chattering teeth. The others gave small stuttering murmurs of agreement.

Wordlessly, I backed off at Iida's sharp command, my body moving as he nudged me away until there was space between me and the bristling boy who's pride was clearly injured by my taunting laugh. Because the dual-haired boy was still giving me death glares of icy doom, I continued to provoke him by keeping the sneering smile on my face. Incensed by the mockery, Todoroki roughly shrugged the bespectacled boy's hand off his shoulder.

"I didn't come to this school to make friends," he coldly bit out to Iida while keeping his heterochromic eyes trained on me. "I came here to win."

"And I didn't come to this school to listen to your bullshit," came my flippant retort.

"You think this is a game?"

Raising my brows at him, I let out another humorless cackle full of scorn while spreading my arms to remind the other boy where he was. "Isn't it?"

What did this fool think we were all doing here? being observed by thousands of judges who would grade us based on our performances throughout the event? There was only one thing on their minds and it was to enjoy the show we would be providing them. The whole world was literally watching us. It didn't matter if Todoroki was trying to prove something here with his one-sided challenge, his agenda meant squat compared to the rest of the audience who were practically screaming, "entertain us!"

Before the drama could unfold further, a couple of taps at the door knocked us all back to reality, thus signaling the end of our little dispute. Yaoyorozu moved to the door since she was the closest, opening it to politely greet the person who stood on the other side (all the while dismissing their concern about the cold airs coming from the waiting room, wondering if someone had accidentally left the AC on for too long).

Once they left, Yaoyorozu turned to the rest of us to announce, "It's time. Let's go."

Iida didn't hesitate to herd everyone out the door. "One at a time, please! Don't crowd the door!"

I felt Todoroki still glaring holes at me, but I didn't turn to acknowledge him.

"Word of advice: don't go making half-ass threats if all you're going to do is use half-ass powers."

And with that parting exchange, I followed the others out the door.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

There was a great big thundering from overhead. It drummed, roared, and echoed like high ocean tides rising and crashing against cliffs, the concrete walls almost shuddering due to the volume of noise it reverberated with. Inside the dark tunnel, there was a drumming of another kind, mute to most others but loud to the few who could hear multiple hearts racing.

 _"MAKE SOME NOISE, LISTENERS! YOUR ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS U.A.'S STUDENTS COMPETE IN THIS YEAR'S RUTHLESS GRAND BATTLE TO REACH THE TOP HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN! WELCOME TO THE SPORTS FESTIVAL!"_ Present Mic's voice rang all around the stadium, bouncing along the walls of the tunnel. _"FIRST UP IS THE_ MIRACULOUS _RISING STARS WHO WITHSTOOD A VILLAIN ATTACK! THE FIRST-YEARS OF THE HERO COURSE! **IT'S CLASS A**!"_

If they were loud before, the audience was absolutely deafening now. I could actually see the walls shudder a little. The nervous and anxious energy everyone felt was pretty potent as the early morning fog of a cold season, and I heard a few breaths falter, but that didn't stop them from breaking their stride. With the dark passage fading behind us, we all crossed through the bright threshold where upon thousands of spectators bestowed us a roar of approval. It was like being in the middle of a football field, except it was so much bigger when you're standing on the ground floor while the rest of the people were looking down at you from high above.

Glancing up near the circular rim of the stadium, giant screens recorded Class 1-A's entrance.

"This is going to be horrible." I muttered.

"Adapting under heavy pressure and scrutiny, this is one of the steps we must take in order to desensitize ourselves from the watchful eyes of society." Iida commented as his eyes raked through the waving crowds. "Another aspect of learning what it takes to be a hero who mustn't be distract, focusing only towards the end goal."

Well, when he phrased it like that, it made sense. It also explained a lot about why kids often got killed during their internships; if it wasn't the lack of gear, lack of control, or lack of sense, it was the pressure that got to them. The heavy weight of people depending on them to keep them safe, the paramount expectations thrown at their feet when the eyes of society looked upon them, everything they learned and knew from training and school meant nothing when they made a startling discovery—they were just a bunch of kids who got drafted into a war.

It was a cold and tragic thing, but it was something unforgivably true. Looking at the stands full of energetic people, I knew that once I put on the costume and mask, I would have to do my job and protect society because that's what being a hero meant: protecting those who could not protect themselves. The uphill battle was massive from where I stood, yet I already accepted this the moment I agreed to become All Might's next successor.

"Easier said than done."

The excessively vocal Voice Hero continued his introduction with the rest of the other class courses, although a lot of people were quick to notice how theirs weren't as impressive as ours was. Whether Present Mic knew it or not, the favoring of our class caused a ripple of sharp looks to be aimed at our direction. The longer the assclown talked, the more incensed our competition became.

Reaching the central area of the arena, there awaiting atop a platform stood a familiar heroine: the dominatrix lady. Since decking Aizawa, I hadn't seen her around except for when there was a class period going on. Other than that, we made sure to stay out of each other's way.

"Isn't that the R-rated Hero: Midnight?!" someone from the crowd exclaimed.

"She's this year's chief umpire?"

"The other years don't know what they're missing~!"

While people from the stands gushed with heart eyes, the students in the central arena felt embarrassed and distracted by the teacher's "assets". It was one thing to be looking at it from afar in their computer screens, it was a whole new world when they were actually face-to-face with a sex icon. The heroine didn't help matters in strutting around in her high heels, winking at the cameras focused on her that was reflected on the giant screens from above.

"Uh, is that legal?" Kirishima wondered out loud, face flushed red as his hair color.

"That's tame compared to her first one." Jirō muttered.

No sooner had the words left, my senses alerted me of something small and agile quickly trying to dart past everyone's legs. My hand automatically shot out to capture the person, instantly latching onto the scruff of their tracksuit. Not to anyone's surprise, Mineta was trying to squeeze through to reach the front so he could get a better view of the voluptuous teacher. Knowing better than to leave the fool to his own devices, I dragged the midget back while keeping a good grip on his shoulders.

"Keep it in your pants, you moron." I hissed at him.

"Easy for you to say! All _you_ have to do is tower over everyone else!"

Rolling my eyes at his petty insult aimed towards my height, I didn't bother to say anything more and instead focused on the platform. Midnight whipped her cat o' nine tails, a resounding crack cutting the chatter amongst the students to a mum. Once she was assured that she had everyone's undivided attention, she smiled cheekily at the students (and the nearby cameras if her image on the giant screens from above were anything to go by).

"Now for the introductory speech!" she began as she whipped her weapon towards the students. "We have... _SENGOKU KUZAN_!"

Once the name was dropped, the audience's reaction did not disappoint. The cheerful and happy atmosphere surrounding the event evaporated like smoke in the wind, revealing nothing but unbridled hostility. If I had to be honest, there was something almost fascinating in seeing how quick the mood would change, how the flow of the world suddenly felt disrupted and out of sync because of one flaw it couldn't seem to avoid, but I suppose that was just me being weird. The excited praises from earlier turned into bellowing "boo's". It was one of the only times everyone got to show their distaste for all the world to see and hear.

As this was unfolding, I watched it all with a numb sense of detachment and calm.

Normal kids grew up with pop culture and influences to mold them into the people they are today, meanwhile I was warped and disfigured from constant exposure to animosity, righteous fury, and isolation. It really shouldn't have surprised me at this point, the years dulling my senses to the point where it was all but a familiar echo only I could hear... and yet, even with the bad blood and clamors of denial, something in my chest still gave out to the ache of being so vehemently rejected.

I could keep lying to myself that nothing got to me, that I was some stone-cold prick who felt absolutely nothing, but even the lies got harder to believe in. Nothing and no one, regardless of the occasion, was ever going to miss the opportunity to remind me where I stood with the rest of society.

Well then.

Inhale.

These people were not my main priority; they were the obstacle and should be treated as such. Dealing with the type of mob that was so hellbent on blaming the easiest (and closest) target was like dealing with a cult that was too stupid and stubborn to see reason and common sense. You could try and explain things to them, you could even provide evidence and good examples of why their line of thinking was nonsensical and unethical, but it would only make them cling harder to their point of view that they were pretty much a lost cause.

Exhale.

Like an anchor that's been cut off, my body and mind felt lighter than before. It almost reminded me of the day I removed the heavy weights I had worn back in Dagobah Beach, my body built up for strength and yet giving me the sense that I could walk on water. Locking onto the platform where Midnight stood waiting, I began my trek through the crowd that thankfully parted for me like the Red Sea parted for Moses. Before I knew it, I was already climbing up the steps where there was a mic stand waiting.

All eyes, both from below and above, and from far and near, watched me like I was standing at the center of the universe.

Whether it was because others noticed the strange gleam in my eyes, were overwhelmed by the tense atmosphere they were subjected to, or were just realizing now that nothing inside or outside of school will ever be considered a normal and lighthearted day, everyone in Class 1-A instantly suspected that something unpleasant was about to transpire. Ignoring the hitching of breaths from behind my back as I took the microphone, I opened my mouth to begin my own little declaration.

"I just want to say..."

Without having to look up and confirm, I could tell that my face was already plastered on the big screen scattered across the giant coliseum-like structure (along with fitting in people's devices from wherever they were); knowing that the entire nation was watching me, probably with their children watching, it made this moment all the more sweeter to deliver the filth that's been building up since forever.

A feral smile bloomed across my lips, much more ferocious and vile than the one I had given Todoroki with his weak declaration of war. He had his fifteen seconds of fame, but mine was going to go down in eternal infamy.

"I just want to say," I sneered at the masses. "That all of you... can go ahead... and _SUCK_ MY MAGICAL—!"

Much later, I learned of the aftermath concerning my full blown outburst to the public: multiple media outlets having to frantically pull the plug in order to avoid the vicious profanity from reaching delicate ears, people becoming angry about the blocked channels they paid for in order to watch the Sports Festival, and just a whole bunch of behind-the-scenes chaos as people tried to cover it up with commercials and PSA announcements. Unfortunately, not a lot of studios were quick enough to save their audiences from such horror which resulted in family households and workplaces to be exposed to every filthy word that came filtering through the speakers of their televisions and other media devices.

At a hospital where a group of doctors, nurses and interns gathered behind a reception desk, watching from one of the computer monitors, they all winced and gritted their teeth. One nurse hurried to lower the volume (they were near the maternity ward, and there was families visiting). They all pointedly kept their eyes on the screen, none of them daring to look at the blond woman behind them who had her face buried in her hands.

Outside the stadium where there was a pack of heroes stuffed inside a security station, the men and women felt their jaws drop and eyes widen as they listened to the stream of cursing coming from the intercom that was attached to the announcement box recording it. Behind them, a robust giant in a yellow hoodie and his companion released soft groans, already sensing trouble rolling up from the horizon.

Elsewhere, sitting in a private box reserved for U.A. staff members, All Might massaged the temples of his forehead where he could feel the coming of a huge migraine. Tuning out his successor's verbal onslaught to the general public, the blond pretended he couldn't see the reactions of his fellow co-workers. They were lucky that Nedzu wasn't here, the mammal too busy overseeing the third-year's. But then, All Might thought, maybe this was exactly why Nedzu had decided to skip the first-year's because he probably foresaw the epic disaster the moment it was decided that his successor would take the stage...

Inside the announcement box, Aizawa could only watch the proceedings with a blank look, not at all surprised by his student's vicious tirade. Beside him, the blond radio host was gawking as though he had come upon a bloody murder scene (and what a murder scene it was). From where he was sitting, the underground hero could tell that Midnight was trying to subtly take back the microphone, but the kid's reflexes were too quick. Besides, once the dye's been cast, there was no undoing it.

The damage was done.

"—AND SHOVE IT!" I finished with an air of finality.

After Midnight swiped the mic back from my grasp, I turned away from the crowd and walked off the platform where the rest of the bug-eyed peanut gallery was waiting. For awhile, nobody said anything, too stunned to function properly because no one expected that to happen on a live television broadcast. The dawning realization of the ramifications that would follow afterwards finally jostled the students to react.

A new wave of outrage filled the entire stadium, much more louder and vicious than before. It didn't help when the cameras caught sight of the wicked smile still plastered on my face, further infuriating the masses and students when they saw it on the display screens overhead. As the pandemonium continued, one had to wonder if the other stadiums could hear them given how loud the commotion was.

Once I was back inside the center of the crowd, it didn't take long for the others to pounce on me. While some just looked on in quiet disapproval of my actions, others like Iida, Ashido, Kaminari, and Mineta didn't hold back in expressing their deep mortification. Iida karate chopped my head like no tomorrow, Ashido was shaking me around like I was a bobble head figurine, and Kaminari was trying to disfigure my face by stretching it around until I was unrecognizable. Meanwhile, near my legs, Mineta was making good use of his fists by continuously punching my thighs like they were his personal sandbags.

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" the midget screeched at the top of his lungs as he delivered another round house kick to my legs. "They're gonna be gunning for us now! And here I was thinking you were the most shrewd of our class! For somebody who doesn't like people doing stupid things, _YOU OUGHTA TAKE YOUR OWN ADVICE_!"

"Opportunity knocked and I answered."

See how unapologetic I was about the whole affair, Mineta just screamed his lungs out in anguish while ripping off the spheres from his head. As I was left to endure the admonishments thrown at me by the stalwart class president and the rest of the goon squad, Present Mic and Midnight worked furiously to quell the anger of the spectators.

In an effort to divert the audience's attention back to the main game, a giant hologram was produced above the raven-haired heroine; what followed was a series of light shows and catchy music delivered by yours truly—said music provider was rocking his head like it was the 1980's or something (even his costume gave me Lost Boy vibes). Meanwhile, the second announcer enforced the calm against the storm by playing the heart-throbbing sex icon she was known for. Her casual innuendos which she dropped now and then in her speech made it all the more easier to utterly destroy the fury of the people who were now left ogling her shameless figure.

It was so convincing of a performance that even _I_ was drawn to her swaying hips.

Unfortunately, there was no controlling the girl-crazy midget who was reduced to a blubbering, slobbering mess that a few of us had to back away in order to avoid getting drool on our sneakers. Honestly, it was like dealing with a depraved dog who heard the tinkling of Pavlov's bell.

"Without further ado, let's get this show on the road!" the raven-haired woman gave another saucy wink at a nearby camera. "And now, the first fateful game of the festival!"

With a simple wave of her wicked whip, the giant hologram that hovered over her came to life and everyone felt anticipation as the central part of the display became a blur that reminded me of the likes of a lottery machine that was usually found inside a casino (Las Vegas being the dominant picture my mind usually conjured whenever I thought of things like gambling). Everyone waited with baited breath to see what the result was, and thankfully no one had to stand the tension any longer because the blur finally came to an abrupt halt to reveal in bold letters what our first trial would be.

 **OBSTACLE RACE**

"Obstacle race, huh?" Satō quirked an eyebrow. "Sound very... boot camp-y."

"I hope they don't expect _moi_ to crawl around in dirt and climb high walls," Aoyama huffed indignantly, offended by the idea of getting his tracksuit dirty. "How else are the fans going to take notice of my dazzling debut?"

"C'mon Aoyama, let's figure it out together~!" Hagakure exclaimed, her floating tracksuit wiggling in excitement. Solidarity at its finest.

"All eleven classes will participate in this treacherous contest!" Midnight continued as the hologram switched images to show everyone an animated icon of a runner slowly making their way around the massive establishment. "The track is four kilometers outside outside of the stadium."

That was over two miles long. Giving a cursory glance towards Iida, Bakugō, Todoroki, and several other key members I recalled were pretty quick during the apprehension tests, I weighed in on the probability of the outcome. Iida had the advantage of being the fastest of us due to his quirk, but considering that we were up against an obstacle course, it wasn't going to be so straightforward and therefore this left the bespectacled boy in a very ambiguous spot—but that didn't mean he was counted out of the race. Bakugō would barrel right through the course, seemingly wild but not entirely out of random as most would assume upon first impression. Todoroki would predictably rely on his ice to help him get ahead of everyone, Yaoyorozu would definitely use her quirk to pull a motorbike out of her stomach or something, Tokoyami would just swing around with his Dark Shadow like he was the modern day Tarzan, and the rest would follow along as best they could.

However, it wasn't just my class I had to worry about, I thought as I gave the sea of unfamiliar faces a quick scan.

"I don't mean to restrain anyone—at least in this case." Midnight's constant use of innuendos was starting to get old, and it showed with how the rest of us (sans Mineta and Kaminari) rolled our eyes at her. "So long as you don't leave the course, you're free to do whatever your heart desires!"

"Oh, that's just awesome." I mumbled under my breath, feeling anything but.

Honestly, it was bad enough I had to go up against my own group, not to mention the other classes who's abilities were unknown to me, but now I had to watch my back while running around the obstacle course to reach the finish line. I supposed that one effective way in eliminating the competition from those who prevailed since, if I remembered correctly, only forty-something participants got to proceed to the next rounds. The numbers would only continue get smaller and smaller with each new trial until there was only one left to take the winning for themselves. Objectively, it was pretty impressive, but it still didn't take away the troublesome ordeals lying in wait for us.

As if sensing my discomfort, both Todoroki and Bakugō glared at me from over their shoulders.

 _'Well this just keeps getting better and better.'_

"Take your places contestants!"

At the command of the raven-haired woman, everyone assembled around the gates which served as the start and finish line of the obstacle race. However, instead of following their example, I headed towards the opposite direction. I didn't stop until I found a mostly open area that was suitable for me. The doorway leading out of the stadium was narrow and restricting, and once the race got started, it was going to be jam packed. To put it in simple terms: it was going to be like a repeat of the cafeteria incident. The more kids rushed in, the more slow progress would be before they got to the other end of the tunnel. And that, I reminded myself sardonically, was just our first hurdle in the race.

Separated from the rest of the pack, I stood alone with a bunch of nameless nobodies who didn't try all that hard to hide their looks and remarks when they noticed my presence. A quick glance at their nerdy-looking appearances told me all that I needed to know: this was the Business Department. They obviously weren't going to partake the obstacle course race if they all decided to congregate behind the first eight classes, not that I blamed them.

The only reason these people entered U.A. was because it was one of the top schools in Japan; besides producing the next batch of heroes for society, the school also provided students the best education which would reflect greatly on their records, allowing them the opportunity to attend whatever college of their choosing. And because of how valuable students from the support departments were, they too were given the best of the best. With security left in the hands of heroes, the backbone of society was up to the Gen Ed, Business, and Support department. Whether anyone realized it or not, we all needed each other in order to survive this world.

Heroes needed support teams, teams needed business, and business needed workers. The circle of life implemented in society's infrastructure.

When the chatter started to die down, everyone knew it meant the beginning of the race. Eyeing the group ahead, I widened my stance and prepared my body to take whatever action necessary to surpass the others. This was the only time anyone would be confined together in the tight space, becoming the open window I needed to skip ahead of my competition without having to struggle, fight, and dodge any competition looking to stop me. One for All might be missed but my Sentinel quirk never failed to do its job in being my danger alert.

The green lights from the gate's archway began to blink out one-by-one. Fifteen seconds per bulb, forty-five seconds waiting period, two-hundred-and-twenty kids ready to cause mayhem, and one bad bitch about to leave them in the dust.

the countdown steadily coming to zero, and the suspense thickening like early morning fog

It wasn't long when the chatter died down, signalling the beginning as the green lights from the gate's archway began to blink out one-by-one. Other than widening my stance, I remained where I stood, waiting for the horde to make their first move. Once the people were packed inside, it would only be easier from here on out to surpass them (though that didn't mean I would let my guard down).

The horn went off.

" _BEGIN_!"

Just as I predicted, the kids swarmed the entire entrance it was filled to the brim. From the announcement box above, Present Mic was making colorful commentary while also trying to engage his disgruntled companion on the topic. Plenty of people could hear the underground hero's annoyance in the audio speakers surrounding the place, but instead of quitting like I expected him to, he just played along by pointing out the obvious obstacle most people missed: the front door.

Believing that the time to strike was now, I flung my arms back as far as they could go then watched my limbs sail over the crowds until my hands caught the edges of the gate's opening archway. Ignoring the gawking looks I was on the receiving end of, I walked backwards until I could no longer go any further. This was a technique I hadn't used often, given how much trouble it would've caused me if I had been in the urban streets or at the beach, but I remembered pulling this stunt back when I was the quirk gym. But now with the permission to go all out granted, it was time to go all in.

"Gomu Gomu no..."

Giving a sharp inhale, I cut off the strength that held me backwards and allowed gravity and physics to correct themselves as my body was yanked forward in the effort to return to my original shape. But as this was happening, a couple of things took me by surprise that there had been no time for me to dodge or stop it all.

"ROCK—"

"Hikari-cha—!"

" _Hah_!"

"—ET?!"

I was airborne, shooting off like a rubber band springing loose after its been released. The experience alone would've been exciting enough had it not been for the shrieking girl clinging onto my front, not to mention the extra baggage who latched themselves onto my back. Needless to say, me and my two "passengers" were quite the sight to behold from down below. I almost wanted to scream at the girl to stop shrieking in my ear, but feeling her hands about to lose their grip on my shoulders, I quickly grabbed a hold of her waist to keep the poor girl from falling.

I didn't even get a chance to confront the other person because all of a sudden I was hit with strong waves of mint which was then followed by winds of chilly gusts. Ice was beginning to crawl along the walls of the narrow space and it was also working to close up the doorway, preventing anyone from getting through. Todoroki's doing no doubt.

"Hey! We're gonna crash into that ice wall!" the person behind me warned.

"Gomu Gomu no...!" I wind my arm back like a corkscrew before diving it forward to blow away the ice blockade. " _RIFLE_!"

Thick blocks and chunks of ice exploded when my swirling fist collided against the thick surface. A sharp stinging sensation told me that skin of my knuckles would be damaged due to the cold, but I ignored it in favor of plowing through the damn thing until I reached the other side. Entryway no longer preventing me, me and my companions sailed on until gravity decided that my moment should be cut short.

As I was falling downwards, being sure to mind the legs of the girl so she wouldn't end up with a pair of broken legs because of the rough landing, I experienced a full body shudder that made alarm bells and red flags go off in my head. When I looked over my shoulder, my eyes nearly popped out of my skull from the shocking sight. I've seen videos and heard plenty of horror stories surrounding the natural disaster that were known as avalanches, how so much snow could bury people alive and then suffocate them when oxygen was cut off, but to actually come face-to-face with it almost made me blank out because my brain decided to die right then and there.

The only reason why I hadn't ended up encased inside a frozen coffin was because the guy behind me started frantically slapping my shoulder just as the girl in my arms released another one of her ear-piercing screams that rattled my brain enough to break me out of my shocked stupor. The moment my feet touched ground, I bolted down the trail, barely avoiding a tsunami of ice that crashed down afterwards.

I ran like hell was on my heels.

Chancing another peek over my shoulder, I spotted Todoroki hovering above the frozen tidal wave that continued to chase after us which pretty much consumed everything in its path. His heterochromic eyes tracked me like they were magnets solely drawn on me, it gave me the fucking chills (no pun intended). On another note, I was finally able to identify the jackass who decided it was a good idea to hitch a ride on my back while I was taking off from the field: it was the indigo-haired kid who made a threat to my class about how he was going to steal a seat from right under our noses.

"Is he allowed to do that?! He could've seriously hurt us back there!" the girl in my arms cried out.

"Yeah, he's acting like somebody killed his puppy or something. What's got his panties in such a twist?"

When the boy and girl noticed how meekly quiet I was, or how I hadn't offered up any contributions to suggest theories of my own on Todoroki's extremely aggressive behavior, the teens instantly put two and two together: I was the reason why Todoroki was ruthlessly pursuing us so. The girl—ginger-haired with a splattering of freckles across her nose, and wearing a large set of glasses that made her eyes pop out—frowned at me like my mom had done countless times when she knew I did something wrong.

"What did you _do_?"

I scowled at her. " _I_ didn't do anything! I just, I mean, I just laughed in his face! Ain't my fault he took it so hard!"

"You call that _taking it hard_?!" the indigo-haired teen pointed over towards Todoroki who was beginning to gain speed on me.

"Hey asshole, it ain't my fucking fault that he's so insecure about himself that he's gotta justify his powers by kicking other people's asses just because they're deemed a threat to his superiority!" I snapped at the other boy. "I'm done with being everybody's punching bag, so fuck him!"

"Look out!"

Hearing the girl's warning, I thought for half a second she meant Todoroki—only to realize when I felt the microscopic ripples on my skin that she was actually saying there was something dangerous coming from _ahead_. And that was how me and my companions narrowly dodged something that swept over our heads like a bullet train whizzing by inches away from our faces (I would've been fine getting hit, the others... not so much). However, the action made me lose my balance and I ended up rolling us all to the ground. The girl and boy were no longer attached to me like magnets to a fridge, and I was free to face my opponent without any weight to burden my movements.

 _"PHEW~! Nice reflexes!"_ Present Mic's voice echoed from the background. _"And what a surprise~! What or who has entered the obstacle course race?! Why, it's our very special guests: ROBO INFERNO~!"_

Standing in the middle of a wide open area was not just one robot, not a couple, not a few—not even a dozen—but a fucking large platoon of them! And if their numbers wasn't shocking enough, it was the large group of zero pointers that really set the shock meter to an all time high! Watching the smaller bots form a semi circle surrounding us, I took notice that none of them stepped out where the trail opened up to the robot infested area. Were these AI's only programmed to attack anyone who entered within the perimeter? If so, it was a pretty ingenious way to cut down the contestants by half since the majority of them were mostly made up of Business and Support classes. This part of the course was pretty much a dead end to those guys.

"A-a-are those...?" the girl was so terrified, she couldn't finish her question.

"Well, shit," the other muttered under his breath.

The chilly gusts I felt blowing against my back didn't help relieve matters, and I was beginning to rethink my decision in holding back One for All but ultimately decided against it—because I had another trump card. As most people tended to forget, I still depended on one important factor that never failed to make an explosive appearance.

"OUTTA THE WAY, HALF-N-HALF!"

Like a vicious devil spat out of the deepest bowels of hell itself, Bakugō tore right through the ice path in a glory of hail, steam, and explosions. I'll admit, it was kind of cool to see that. Aiming his quirk towards Todoroki, this move effectively knocked the dual-haired boy from icing over the entire area we all were standing in, leaving me with enough time to actually get around this robot issue. The ash blond teen's destructive tendency was going to bite him in the ass later (as was proven once upon a time during a battle simulation), but right now, it was as though the clouds parted for me as a sign of divine intervention finally giving me a much needed break.

Behind the raging boy, I spotted Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu skiing their way through the icy terrain with the use of their quirks (and make-shift tools), and beyond them, Ojiro was navigating through the slippery road by utilizing his tail to help get him around without slamming into the walls framing the road. Further back, Iida was carefully giving off boosts from his legs to keep him ahead of the other contestants who trailed after him. Mineta, I noted with surprise, was traversing through the winter wonderland like some deranged kangaroo by bouncing off the sticky spheres he threw around; it wouldn't take long for the midget to surpass Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami.

The familiar shriek of the ginger-haired girl brought me back and I automatically whipped an arm towards the direction of the troublesome source.

" _Pistol_!"

 _ **WHAM!**_

The bot that tried to swing its scorpion-shaped tail at the frightened girl was thrown backwards, sporting a new giant dent imprinted on the side of its bulky frame. The thing crashed against the ice, skidding down the path where it barely avoided colliding with Tokoyami.

If the bots had been waiting for a signal, they definitely started to attack at once.

"Oh, c'mon!" the indigo-haired kid complained as he ran around to avoid getting shot at by some stun gun-wielding bots.

Noticing that the girl I carried with me was standing there like an awkward potted plant, I shouted, "The longer you stand there, the easier it'll be for them to flatten you!"

This only seemed to make the girl freeze up some more (and Todoroki was nowhere near her).

"Oh dammit..." I muttered under my breath. Not wanting to be guilty for leaving the helpless girl at the mercy of the attack bots, I ran towards her and snatched her away before another junk trolley could slam into her. Instantly, she curled up and clung onto me like a baby koala.

"Please, please, please don't leave me to die!" she whimpered, her eyes becoming even more glassier than they were behind her giant binoculars she called her glasses.

"You're not gonna die, you idiot." I grumbled at her. "I'll get you outta here, don't worry."

Just had to avoid getting frozen, blown up, and tackled by out-of-control robots. Gotta love the Sports Festival for sweeping the rug right out of people's feet just when they started to think they had the situation under control.

"Let's get to it, then!" I grunted.


	23. DEAREST AUTHOR'S ANNOUNCEMENT

Sorry, not an extra update.

So, like, I have a sort of unfortunate announcement to make for you guys... or good news, it really depends on the person reading this. Anyway, let's just rip the band-aid off and get to it because I won't be adding another chapter in this fic.

I'm planning on rewriting the whole story from scratch.

 **LET ME EXPLAIN!**

During my time reading through tumblr and stuff, I happened upon a few interesting things regarding a person's mental health and their behavior patterns. Shockingly, I got most of it right, but there was some other stuff that I missed that I want to actually fit into the story because this could add a bit of lore and what I'm trying to aim towards when writing this. So while there is similarity and connections to Kuzan's mental health, I still need to add a little more to make it much more accurate to his character. This is going to really blow up in people's faces later on in the story post-Kamino Ward arc, believe me!

Also, I just found out about this new show (I won't say which but you'll probably catch a few hints somewhere in here) that sounded so perfect that I'm going to probably use references about it in the story because it will kind of have a huge impact regarding the superhero community. If any of you know which show I'm talking about, don't say or spoil it because I promise to write about it some other date when certain arcs have been reached. I'll probably pull some time-travel fic out of my ass but for now, it's going to be left alone in the background until the time comes.

So yeah, sorry you won't be getting the update you want, but this new rewrite will become more fluid. I promise not a lot will change with chapters being huge, but there will definitely be something new to them. Again, I apologize but I feel like it's going to be a decision worth the wait when the time comes. Plus, the whole rewriting business will have shorter periods of updates because I got most of the original chapters to do the framework with.

p.s. I also wanted to change the title because CHAOTIC was slapped on since I didn't know what to call the story at the time. Hope Devilman fans won't mind!


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